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Pre- Philosophy Statement

Taylor Petrillo

College of Southern Nevada

ENG 203:

Dr. Dale Warby

September 7, 2021
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Pre-Philosophy Statement

Autism Spectrum disorder has shaped my life into what it is today ever since my sister

Peyton received this diagnosis at the age of four in 2001. Not only did this diagnosis drastically

affect everyone’s life close to me, but it also paved the way for my sister’s future. Autism

Spectrum disorder was not heavily known across the world at the year of my sister’s diagnosis,

let alone diagnosed to many children at early intervention ages. However, the prevalence of

Autism has skyrocketed since then to approximately 1 in 54 children, with boys being four times

more likely to be diagnosed than girls in the year 2020.

When my sister was first diagnosed, I was only six years old at the time. Growing up I

remember the lack of play my sister and I, the strong disconnect of communication, and

frustration I developed at an early age towards her. This was unfortunate, but it was the

relationship I formed with her from the inability to connect on a sibling level. I distinctly

remember here screaming under the restaurant table due to abundance of over stimulation, the

constant hand flapping, and commentary she held between herself. She was immensely happy in

her own world, distant from others which was something I could never seem to understand until

we grew older.

By the time I turned thirteen, my life was revolved around the Autism and disability

community. I had countless of volunteer hours through a nonprofit located in Las Vegas called

FEAT (Families for Effective Autism Treatment) whom my mom happened to be the Executive

Director for and still is today. Their mission is to provide information on therapies, support

services, and resources for families and children impacted by ASD. They provide programs,
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events, community outreach, and guidance to others who have similar needs and concerns.

Through FEAT, I become immersed in helping families who were just like us. I volunteered for

their free summer pool parties, annual holiday parties (which was a huge hit due to the free

Christmas gifts that were donated for every child’s attendance), sibling support meetings, A

Games, parents’ night out, and their Spectrum Connects Program.

When I turned sixteen, I started my first job as an RBT through the Lovaas Center doing

in-home ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis) for children with ASD. I worked with children who

were nonverbal using an iPad program called PECS, children who struggled with fine motor

skills, and children with Asperger’s (when Asperger’s was a diagnosis at the time). From there, I

branched off to work for a company called Aquatic Life who specialized and taught children of

all disabilities water safety and how to swim independently. I ended up doing this for almost two

years with an Olympic medalist from Canada named Gary Anderson who loved his clients like

his own children.

After going to college at UNR for a couple years, I came back to my hometown of Vegas

to become a manager for a company called NEAT Services (Nevada Educational Advocacy and

Tutoring Services). NEAT services specialize in tutoring services for children with special needs

across the Las Vegas valley. All our hired tutors have a master’s degree in education or special

education, all their teaching credentials, and have taught for years in the school system. We also

provide an in-person homeschool help program located at a center called the Collaboration

Center. The Collaboration Center offers wrap around services to children and their families with

special needs under one roof. There is also a psychologist, Down Syndrome Organization, two

ABA companies, and an outreach program called Pathways on property. This center is currently

in the process of expanding to include an inclusive pre- school, a swimming pool, and horse
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therapy on property. I have never had a more fulfilling and rewarding jobs in the disability

community and I am so excited to see the Collaboration Center change lives and provide more

services to families in Las Vegas.

All this involvement in community organizations related to disabilities has drastically

changed my life and because of this, I feel so blessed to be able to have helped families just as

they have helped me. My sister’s diagnosis has changed my life and it’s been so great to see her

grow into the person she is today.