YELLOWKNIFE
Larry Elkin is one of those people who just doesn't talk about himself.
Larry Elkin, left, sits with his grandson Brad Hall in the living room of the Elkin family home in Yellowknife on Jan. 5. Elkin recently received a Diamond Jubilee Medal to recognize his work supporting his grandson, who was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder at the age of four. - Laura Busch/NNSL photo
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When Yellowknifer sat down with Elkin last Friday, Elkin would inevitably turn the conversation to his 27-year-old grandson, Brad. Brad was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder when he was four years old and since that time Elkin has dedicated himself to helping his grandson have the most productive life possible.
"We knew something was different about him quite early on,"said Elkin.
At about a year and a half old, the family noticed that Brad would not make eye contact and wasn't developing social skills like other children. He would also have screaming fits and rarely slept through the night. At the time, little was known about autism and there were very few resources available in Canada. Eventually, the family tracked down a doctor who specialized in autism and brought Brad south to be diagnosed.
"Once he was diagnosed, of course, he had a pile of support," said Elkin. "The intent all along was to maximize what he can get out of life, whether it's work or whether it's recreation or just living because he's a high-functioning autistic person. So, his aspirations are really no different than you and me."
Elkin retired from a long career at the federal and territorial government within years of Brad's diagnosis. Among other things, this gave him more time to spend with Brad.
As there were next to no resources to support families with autistic children in the NWT, the family created a support group called the NWT Autism Society. Over the years, this group has grown to include members of about 20 Yellowknife families who identify a loved one as having autism.
Autism Spectrum Disorder, more commonly referred to as autism, is a life-long disorder that affects patients in different ways, said Lynn Elkin, Brad's mother and president of the NWT Autism Society. Some people with autism are very high functioning and can have an encyclopedic memory. Some have concurrent conditions, such as a learning disability or a speech impediment.
Autism is primarily a social communication and behavioral disorder, meaning that people with the disorder have difficulty picking up on social cues. Simple things like eye contact and manners are difficult for an autistic child to learn.
"We have folks who have gone through and become honour students in their school system but have absolutely no idea how to walk down the hallways and interact with the other students," said Lynn Elkin.
Giving up retired life
In 1994, Elkin and his wife Cappy planned to move south to Regina where they had built a retirement home. However, they decided to stay in Yellowknife to help support Brad because his mother was working full time and could not give her son all the support he needed on her own.
"Of course, it's not easy. The easiest thing would be to not do very much, but that would be doing a disservice to the person with autism because they need to be pushed," said Elkin. "You have to be careful because, with someone with autism if they didn't get the proper support from their family, they could end up on the street."
Much of Brad's success is thanks to the dedication of his grandparents, said Lynn Elkin. If there was a toy or a tool that would help autistic children develop a certain skill, Brad had it.
"They've both taken the life they would have had and not had it," she said. "It doesn't mean this isn't an enriched life. It's an incredible experience to have someone in your family like this who really brings out the best in you."
Brad also knows how important a full-time support person is in his life.
"Without one I wouldn't be where I am now," he said. "I know my grandparents and parents can't go on forever and I know I'll need support even when they're gone."
Elkin agreed that this is true, but couldn't help but laugh.
"As you see, another thing about Brad that's fairly typical is he's very straightforward," he said. "There is no beating around the bush."
"Had I not been born with autism, I don't know how different things could or might have been, but I also know that autism isn't all bad," said Brad. "And even if there was a cure, I wouldn't want it."
Currently, Elkin is Brad's self-appointed job coach. On a day to day basis, this means Elkin drops Brad off and picks him up from his three different part-time jobs. Brad works as a library technician, for which he received a college diploma, and also writes, designs and delivers the Coffee Break News. Elkin keeps in touch with all of Brad's employers to educate them about autism and what they can expect from Brad. He also deals with any problem behaviour as it comes up. He and Brad normally then run errands together after work and are a regular fixture at area coffee shops in the evenings.
"An autistic person normally doesn't have friends," said Elkin. "So, I end up playing that kind of role."
