Caleb and his devoted mother, Melissa, during a recent trip to New York City to perform alongside his bandmates in the St. Patrick's Day Parade.
Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). The program, which is funded by the National Clearinghouse for Educational Funding, helps families navigate and access the mental health resources available in the
community. NAMI immediately referred them to the David Lawrence Center. Over the next five years, Mellisa and Caleb’s treatment team remained vigilant in determining the best methods, tools and support needed to ensure Caleb has many more good days than bad ones. To date, Caleb has been sent to the Crisis Stabilization Unit 14 times under the Florida Mental Health Act of 1971 (the Baker Act). When things were at their worst, he was admited every other week. During his outbursts he has goten in trouble at school, destroyed the house and been arrested for batery. While not an easy journey, through his family’s complete devotion and determination and with Caleb’s own willpower and bravery, he has been making great strides since his psychiatrist recently also diagnosed him with high-functioning Asperger’s. This opened up an entirely new perspective on his treatment modality. Through carefully coordinated and collaborated adjustments, things began to im-
CALEB RECENTLY OPENED UP ABOUT HIS LATEST DIAGNOSIS IN A YOUTUBE VIDEO TITLED “EVERYONE MATTERS,” SO THAT HE COULD RAISE AWARENESS ABOUT AUTISM.
prove. His psychiatrist changed his medicine to help him sleep beter, which vastly dimin- ished his agitation throughout the day. His case manager helped get him an individual- ized education program in the schools. He was assigned a specially trained therapist who works with the family in the home twice a week and has been instrumental in helping communicate back to the psychiatrist about Caleb’s behaviors. Together, they work on his social skills and communication through role playing. They also keep a log of his behaviors so they can learn what triggers his anger and how to prevent it from escalating. He joined the LX4Autism lacrosse team to help with socialization. When things get tough, they work with law enforcement to calm him down and avoid a Crisis Stabilization Unit admission. The results have been nothing short of amazing. Caleb recently opened up about his latest diagnosis in a YouTube video titled “Every-
one Maters,” so that he could raise awareness about autism. His underlying message was to help people understand what it feels like to have a disability that no one can see and encourage them to be a friend to someone with a disability. Caleb also used the video as a platform to raise money for a once-in-a-lifetime trip to New York City to play the drums with his marching band in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade.
The community, his bandmates and the school overwhelmed them with their generosity, and Caleb, armed with a plethora of tools to help make the trip as smooth as possible, set off for the Big Apple. He used earphones to dull the overwhelming sensory overload of the bustling city, held tightly to his drumsticks
to help with his tactile sensitivity, and played his heart out with a grin from ear to ear as Mellisa looked on proudly. When things became overwhelming a few times, they found a quiet place and were prepared with medication. Mellisa is forever grateful for all the people who have come into their lives and can see the good in Caleb. She
adds, “All the resources came at all the right times.” For the first time in his life, Caleb feels understood. Lacrosse and the band have given him purpose, a sense of accomplishment and an instant group of friends. As a result, he finally feels like he belongs to a community of people who care about his wellbeing. Anxious to fulfill his personal potential, Caleb aspires to be a mechanical engineer and, just like any other teen,
looks forward to taking driver’s ed. For more information contact the David Lawrence Center, 6075 Bathey Lane, Naples, FL 34116, 239-455-8500,
DavidLawrenceCenter.org. ◆
JULY - OCTOBER 25
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