Autism Awareness: Kamloops family shares challenges and joys of life with autism

“A lot of people say it’s a disability,” 15-year-old Bryanna said, “but I like to look at it as a different way of looking at things, through a different lense, you could say.”

Their mother, Eroca Lillace, knew very little about Autism when Bryanna was first diagnosed at four years old.

“I’d heard of it, but I really hadn’t paid a lot of attention,” Lillace said. “Once the word autism was said in relation to my children I started looking into information, I had people giving me things to read, so I got some more information and at the time it was also really easy to get a lot of misinformation.”

Lillace says she was able to tap into numerous resources in Kamloops, like the Thompson Nicola Family Resource Society and individuals who offered support.

“I’m very grateful to so many of those people and all that they’ve done to help us because this is not a journey that you can do on your own,” she said through tears.

While her children both have autism, Lillace says they are very different people.

“Bryanna is a much quieter person who is more likely to spend time alone and be independent and do things by herself … Ken, he’s always friendly, he’s always outgoing, he’s always trying to make friends, and trying to be included, and he doesn’t shy away from people.”

Despite his friendly disposition, 13-year-old Ken has struggled to make the friendships he craves.

“I just really want to get to know a lot of people,” he said, “because there’s not a lot of nice people at my school.”

“Creating friendships, nurturing friendships has always been very challenging for both Ken and Bryanna and at different times more than others,” Lillace added.

Bryanna says people with autism just want to be treated like anyone else.

“Treat them like a person,” Bryanna said, “make them feel like a person, because I mean that’s what we are, we’re humans, and humans (who) can do anything.”

by Jill Sperling

Autism Awareness: Kamloops family shares challenges and joys of life with autism

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