Shelly Huhtanen, an Army wife and mother balancing a military life with a special needs child, said she has to plan her entire day to set her family up for success. Mark, Shelly, Broden, and their older son Hayden moved to Fort Hood in 2009 and enrolled in the Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP) – an Army-wide service that takes into consideration what reassignments and jobs are best for families who have special needs children. The program also helps families connect with community support and services. "Sometimes I think we let the big Army push us into jobs where our family might not have the best care, but you can shape that and influence it," Mark said. But even with that help, it's still a struggle. In a constantly changing military setting, Broden doesn't do well with transitions. Even the smallest change in a daily routine can throw him into a tailspin. "When I pick him up from therapy, if I take a left instead of a right he will scream until he realizes where we are going. It can turn into a two-hour tantrum," Shelly said. It controls every aspect of their lives; where they go, who they see, and what they do.
Shelly Huhtanen is the author of the book Giving Voice Silent. This book is compiled of intimate short stories that involve a military family raising a child with autism. Issues such as stress involved with deployments, transitions with PCS moves, and fighting for an appropriate education are discussed. To connect with Shelly Huhtanen, she can be found on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/shelly-huhtanen/ For more information about her book, Giving Voice To The Silent Many, please visit http://silentmany.com/author/shellyhuhtanen/. The book can be purchased on Amazon through this link: https://www.amazon.com/Giving-Voice-Silent-Shelly-Huhtanen/dp/1940129834
The Unumb Center for Neurodevelopment https://www.unumbcenter.org/
The Council of Autism Service Providers supports our members by cultivating, sharing, and advocating for provider best practices in autism services. The Council of Autism Service Providers is a non-profit association of for-profit and not-for-profit agencies serving individuals with autism spectrum disorders. Our member agencies care for more than 50,000 children and adults with autism across the United States and have collective revenues approaching 1 billion dollars. We serve as a force for change, providing information and education and promoting standards that enhance quality. https://casproviders.org/
The mission of the National Autism Law Center is to enforce and expand the legal rights of individuals on the autism spectrum and to serve as a resource for such individuals and their families, as well as to the service providers and attorneys who support them. https://nationalautismlawcenter.org/
South Carolina Vocational Rehabilitation Services VR prepares and assists eligible South Carolinians with disabilities to achieve and maintain competitive employment. Our goal is to ensure that “quality happens one person at a time.” https://scvrd.net/
