Mother jumps at chance to help autistic children
Nicholas Deusenberry, 5, happily jumps on his class’s new trampoline. The class received the trampoline with the help of fundraising by his mother, Renee.
From left, IU1 teachers Mary Ann Rocco, Tina Sauritch and Gretchen Orsini, mother Renee Deusenberry, her son, Nicholas, friend Nicole Klesser and building principal Kenny Patterson have been the support behind Nicholas’ progress in school and social activities. Deusenberry was so pleased with her son’s progress she helped raise money for a trampoline as a gift for the class.
As the nine children in the autistic support classroom at Washington Park School jockeyed for position around the trampoline tucked in a corner, awaiting their turn, Renee Deusenberry looked on, beaming.
The trampoline, along with a pop-up tent, was her gift to the class.
Deusenberry’s 5-year-old son, Nicholas, is a student in the Intermediate Unit 1 class in Washington, and Deusenberry held a fundraiser to earn money to purchase the trampoline – a valuable therapy tool for children with autism.
“They’re loving it. It’s wonderful, seeing their faces light up,” said Deusenberry, 24, of Vestaburg,
The trampoline was unveiled at a pizza party Deusenberry threw in March, with the blessing of Nicholas’ teacher, Mary Ann Rocco. It was a “thank you,” of sorts, for Deusenberry, who credits the school with Nicholas’ academic and social growth.
“Renee’s young, she’s energetic, she’s a good mom,” said Rocco. “She has a sincere interest in her child and in helping him succeed. When you are a special education teacher, you have to have collaboration with parents. I have that with her, and, fortunately, with the other parents in my class.”
When Nicholas was diagnosed with autism at age 2, it was like a punch in the stomach for Deusenberry.
But she had plenty of experience dealing with life-changing situations. Deusenberry gave birth to Nicholas when she was a senior in high school, and juggled motherhood and schoolwork to graduate from Bethlehem-Center High School on time, with her classmates.
Deusenberry graduated with honors from Stratford Career Institute, a online school, with a degree as a nursing assistant, and worked at a nursing home before she decided to stay to at home full-time to care for Nicholas.
“As a first-time mom – and a young mom – I was overwhelmed at first. It was very hard,” said Renee.
But she enrolled Nicholas in an early intervention program, sought advice from other autism moms, and leaned on her husband, Michael, and her mother-in-law, Roberta Deusenberry, a nursing assistant who had once worked with autistic children, for guidance.
The best decision she made, she said, was enrolling Nicholas in the IU’s autism class.
When he started school in the fall, Nicholas had limited self-help skills (he wasn’t potty-trained) and limited verbal skills, pointing at objects instead of talking.
Today, the blue-eyed, blond-haired boy with a buzz cut and a sweet smile wears “big boy” underwear, recites facts about sharks (he’s fascinated with them), knows the alphabet and has made friends in the classroom.
“We’ve all noticed a big change in him. He’s improved a whole lot. He’s a great kid: He loves animals, he loves to be a big helper, he loves to help with laundry and wash dishes,” said Deusenberry, who wanted to show her appreciation to Rocco and the classroom assistants.
So she held two fundraisers to buy the trampoline and the pop-up tent. A trampoline is one of the most beneficial activities for a child with autism, Rocco said, because it provides sensory stimulation, and the tent offers a safe place.
Deusenberry and her friend, Nicole Klesser, also brought pizza, crafts and pendant necklaces with messages like “Autism. Treat with love.”
Nicholas’ autism has made Deusenberry a stronger woman and she finds herself grateful for each small accomplishment and for everyone who helps her son.
“I’m so thankful for Mrs. Rocco and her helpers. That school is wonderful,” said Deusenberry. “I love being Nicholas’ mom. I enjoy every moment of it and I want to be there for him. I tell Mrs. Rocco that if she needs me for a party, for field trips, for anything, just let me know. I’ll come. I’ll do anything they want me to do. He’s my priority.”