Ellis

Written May 2020 by Ashley Wells

A special Thank You to Kathy Holt for her help in writing this article about her grandson, Ellis. 

This month's Spotlight on Families features Ellis, who is turning 9 in May! Happy Birthday! Ellis is living with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder), SPD (Sensory Processing Disorder), GAD (General Anxiety Disorder), and PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder). 

Ellis is kind, intelligent, and very stubborn! He is protective of others, especially anyone who is being picked on. Ellis sticks to his word, if he makes a commitment, he does his best to follow through. 

Ellis enjoys video games, especially Fortnite & Minecraft. He has played most sports, but football and soccer are his favorites! Ellis also enjoys swimming, lifting weights, riding his skateboard, scooter, bike, and hover board, as well as doing tricks on his trampoline. His grandpa, dad, and dog are his favorite warm-blooded beings to hang out with. 

Ellis is smart, kind, and compassionate. He tries very hard to please the people in his life. He has a lot of empathy and can see when other people are in pain and does what he can to make them feel better. 

One of the biggest challenges for the family is seeing him struggle to try to maneuver his life. His family has a unique dynamic that would be difficult for most adults to navigate, let alone a child. He is HYPER reactive to others around him, for example, if a kid in class is escalated, he becomes very invested in their behavior. If he feels he can't accomplish a school task perfectly, he has a meltdown, and it can be very difficult to pull him back out of it. 

When asked what he wants to be when he grows up, Ellis says either a long haul truck driver like his dad, or a "builder" like his grandpa was before he retired. 

When asked what her hopes and dreams were for her grandson, Kathy stated "That's easy, for him to achieve all of his hopes and dreams."