Hope is a word, Kim Ryan of Hooksett understands all too well.

As a mother of a 4-year-old autistic child named Christopher, she has learned to hold on to hope very tightly.

“There is so much hope. Not to say that it isn’t easy. It has its challenges and has been very stressful, but we’re very grateful. We just keep persevering and we’re not going to give up,” Ryan said.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, “Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are a group of related brain-based disorders that affect a child’s behavior, social and communication skills. Approximately one in 150 children are diagnosed with an ASD.”

According to Ryan, Christopher seemed to be developing normally as an infant, but at around 16 months he stopped talking.

“At first, we thought something was wrong with his hearing because he wouldn’t look when we called his name,” said Ryan. “Then, Chris started to go into his own world and preferred to play by himself.

The doctor said to wait a few months to see because he was saying some words, but then he stopped talking altogether and gave us very little eye contact. Then, by 2, he was diagnosed as having autism.”

Ryan said she was referred to Easter Seals for early intervention where Christopher received in-home therapy from a paraprofessional behavior specialist, speech therapist and occupational therapist. When Christopher turned 3, he received services through the Hooksett public school system, where he currently participates in an integrated class at Underhill.

Ryan expressed great happiness with the school system and his teacher.

“The school has been very supportive and his teacher, Lisa Pollard, and her paraprofessional have been wonderful. I believe anyone who works with autistic children is very special. Their heart is truly in it and it means so much,” Ryan said.

Ryan has learned a great deal of information. The Autism Society of New Hampshire has been very helpful, but the biggest help has been talking to other mothers of children with autism.

“Two programs which have helped Christopher a great deal are Applied Behavior Analysis which was started early, and another is a medical program called Defeat Autism Now,” she said.

Most of the help and answers she needed have been found on the Internet.

“Another reassuring voice has been actress Jenny McCarthy, who has been very vocal in the media as a mother of an autistic son,” Ryan said. “Also, Talk About Curing Autism has a great deal of helpful information.”

Ryan shared her plans to participate in The Green the Vaccine march in Washington, D.C., on June 4 to “promote awareness for the elimination of all toxins from children’s vaccines and have national health agencies reassess the mandatory vaccine schedule.”

Ryan said she is concerned about the increase in children being diagnosed with autism, and through this experience she is also more aware of the concern over chemicals and mercury in food, vaccines and the environment.

“This should be explored more,” she added and that her son is being further tested, but in the meantime she has gone “green” when it comes to cleaning products and chooses more natural solutions. “Diet, such as gluten free or casein free, is also something we’re researching.”

In the meantime, Ryan and her family are on a mission to find helpful information and to share it.

“One thing I learned is that early intervention is key,” said Ryan. She explained that her son has social, sensory and speech challenges. She said communication through pictures, sign language, play scripts and role modeling activities have helped them make a connection with their son. Thanks to his care, Chris’s communication skills have improved.

“I have seen great improvement. Now, at night Chris says goodnight to his two brothers and hugs them,” Ryan shared. Ryan said she hopes to be a resource for local residents with family members diagnosed with autism. For more about autism, Ryan can be reached at 289- 5440.