Wednesday, October 20th, 1975

Friday, January 15th, 2016

Sunday, March 2nd, 2005

For most, these are just ordinary, mundane dates in a calendar. But for senior Dylan Lewis, these dates are only a few of the thousands he has trained himself to remember over the course of his life.

Ever since he was able to talk, Dylan was fascinated with days, months, and years. Not until he was diagnosed with autism, did his family and others around him begin to recognize his gifts.

“In 2008, we had a Leap Year; I think that was the first time he was interested in dates,” Dylan’s mom, Sharisa Lewis, said. “He wanted to know everything about leap years. Once he understood the skip in the calendar patterns, he seemed to know the days of the week of any birthday going back to at least the 1500s. We’ve even tried successfully some in the 1400s, but I think the calendar might have changed sometime in there. He loves dates going forward to like 2058 and above and going backwards now.”

As a parent, Sharisa has gotten to see Dylan overcome milestones and progress as an individual with autism.

“I never imagined Dylan would be where he is today,” Sharisa said. “He only spoke two words or so until he was five. I didn’t know he’d someday speak sentences. His ability to tolerate lights, sounds, and multiple sensory skills has improved so much that he can enjoy most places now. We used to be limited on where he could go and things he could do. He’s worked so hard in speech and occupational and behavioral therapies.”

Autism is a multiplex and lifelong developmental disability that influences how a person communicates, deals with relationships, and self-regulates. It affects about 1 in 59 children in the United States and can be apparent in an individual as early as 6-12 months. Although early diagnosis can help better prepare a person for life, autism is a “spectrum condition,” meaning it affects each person differently with a certain level of severity, so there is no solid way of knowing how a person with autism may be influenced by the disorder. 

“When I first met Dylan as a freshman, it was hard for him to express his feelings,” teacher Cheryl Madani said. “He would get upset and we would not necessarily know what was wrong.  Throughout his four years at Liberty he has grown so much.  He can now easily share his thoughts and feelings with us.  Dylan is much more independent. He loves working around the school, doing recycling and package delivery, and he is always ready to give a warm ‘Hello.’” 

When working with children with intellectual development disorders, better known as IDDs, Madani is able to study her student’s behavior and find ways to better help prepare them for later on in life. 

“Everything that we take for granted is a little bit harder for an autistic person to do, so Dylan has to work extra hard to reach his goals,” Madani said. “When he accomplishes a goal, he is very proud of himself, as we are of him.  His socializing and asking ‘When is your birthday?’ is a great way for him to reach out to people, show that he is interested in learning more about them, and wants to get to know someone better. I believe he loves to see the surprised look on people’s faces when he tells them what day of the week they were born on, or when he remembers their birthday after not seeing them for a month.”

Filling a big role in Dylan’s life is his younger sister, Ella, who is currently a freshman on campus. As in any sibling relationship, building a friendship can be somewhat difficult. But once there is understanding, it can be very transforming. 

“My favorite thing about Dylan is his jokes,” Ella said. “They are never really funny, but he laughs so hard afterward, and his laugh is so contagious, that laughing along with him is inevitable. I think it’s important to remember that Dylan is normal. He’s a human being, so it’s important to treat him like one. To me, everyone needs to love and accept others no matter who they are.”

Although autism is a big part of Dylan’s life, the support of others is what encourages him to fight past his obstacles.  Like many families raising autistic children, the Lewis’s hope people are willing to celebrate the differences in each other, and ultimately exhibit respect for those with disabilities.

“I think all students can benefit from the unique gifts of one another,” Sharissa said. “Inclusion gives each student strength and courage to know they are not alone in struggles. And to see that joy that special needs kids have despite their challenges is inspiring.”