Life is Precious - Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc.

“It was like he could not feel any pain,” Rayyanna
said.
His parents took him to his pediatrician, who said
Jordan didn’t have autism and set them up with a
counselor for home-based speech therapy. Little
changed with Jordan. The Goodwins saw doctor
after doctor before Jordan was diagnosed as autistic
when he was almost three-years old. Following the
diagnosis, Jordan’s verbal communication went from
little to none. He often grunts, moans and screams,
but says no words. If he needs to get the attention of
anyone, Jordan grabs their hand and pulls them to
show them what he wants them to see. He knows
simple commands such as “come here,” “turn the light
off” or “pick up the book.” Changes in Jordan’s regular
daily routine cause him to react aggressively. If he is at
home and one of his parents goes outside, he will have
intense outbursts. As a low-functioning autistic child,
Jordan has to have a one-on-one counselor with him at
all times while he is at school. One day the counselor
left. Jordan screamed and kicked until the teacher
restrained and removed him from the classroom.
Jordan doesn’t play. Not with other children at school
or his three-year-old brother Jeremiah and five-yearold
sister Aaliyah.
Aaliyah knows that Jordan is special and does not
play with her. When other people attempt to talk to
him she tells them, “Jordan doesn’t talk.”
He doesn’t like watching TV or playing with toys.
He only likes things he can use to hit or tap.
“A coat hanger is his favorite thing but he knows he
cannot take it to school so he leaves it at the front door
every morning before leaving for school,” Rayyanna
said. As for Jordan’s parents, they try to stay as
positive as possible.
“A lady once told me that God must think I’m a
special person to give me a special child,” Rayyanna
Goodwin said. “I know I have been put in this
situation for a reason.”
She and her husband rely heavily on each other to
remain upbeat and patient when working with Jordan.
“We vent to each other,” she said. “We are the only
ones who understand the struggles because we are
with him on a daily basis.”
They can’t have date nights, because they are
reluctant to leave Jordan with others due to his
inability to deal with change.
Joseph’s Story
Joseph Woody, the 11-year-old son of Soror Tezra
Woody, is a highly intelligent young boy who has
a love for math and science. He is championing
Asperger syndrome. Joseph was a fast learner at an
early age. He potty trained normally, spoke very well
and dressed himself.
Soror Tezra Woody
After his first day of kindergarten, things changed.
Joseph began acting abnormally. He would crawl
around the classroom and was very disruptive.
“He was kicked out of kindergarten after three
days,” Woody said. The change in routine caused the
symptoms to surface with Joseph. Woody, who serves
as general counsel to the U.S. Army, and her husband
took Joseph to see a child psychiatrist who diagnosed
him with Asperger’s.
“We were relieved to know what was causing this
change in behavior,” she said. “After receiving the
diagnosis we began researching and finding ways to
cope.”
Woody has approached this in a very positive way.
She and her husband wanted Joseph to be flexible
and able to adapt better to change due to relocation
possibilities with being in the military. They wanted
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