April is Autism Awareness month. Future Clearwater Ranch resident, Siri, was featured on the cover of Autism Parenting magazine in April 2020 issue. Her mother, Swathi's article starts on page 10. Check it out.
Here are some excerpts from the article:
"Unfortunately, when Siri turned 22 years old, she aged out of the school system. She was left with two choices: one was to go to a day program (none were available which were compatible with Siri’s needs and abilities), and the second one was job training
(due to her limited communication skills, it was not possible to find one). Siri’s behaviors were still unpredictable, and she only wanted to spend time with her dad, which was challenging as he needed to go to work. Siri’s dad worked long hours in the ER, which
made it harder to plan time together. When Siri entered her teenage years, she slowly started disliking me and would prefer her dad, which was hurtful. She often said, “Only daddy, no mommy.” I had to accept that as part of her autism. There was no way I could
have asked her how I could make her love me."
"During this time, Siri was so tuned into me that she would wake up early every morning, get ready for the day, and sit at the dining table waiting for me to tell her what to do. That’s when I realized Siri needed to do something else so we would not lose the important connection we finally made after 22 years. That’s when I taught her how to make jewelry, and
eventually, we turned it into a successful online business called Designs By Siri."
"Today, at age 27, Siri has the focus needed to learn many more skills. I have plans
to teach her candle making, weaving, and soap making to complement her jewelry making business. Currently, we are working on creating a home for Siri in the “Clearwater Ranch Community” in Cloverdale, CA, alongside a few other families with special needs. We want to make sure several skills are developed, not only for Siri but for the other ranchers. Siri is very excited to visit the property often."
About the Author:
Swathi Chettipally is the CEO of Designs By Siri and the mother of Siri, an adult daughter with autism. She built the company with a mission to develop talent among individuals with autism. She trained her daughter and others with autism to make jewelry and promote their work on social media. This work brings joy and confidence to the makers and builds self-esteem to tackle other problems in their lives. It also promotes the idea that people with autism can become productive members of society. www.designsbysiri.com