Autism is a calling for Lisa Perry

May 6—DAWSON — Lisa Smith was too young to understand the concept of being tapped by a higher power, God, if you will, when she started working with special needs kids. She was, after all, only 15 years old.

But Lisa Perry gets it now, some 44 years later, that divine intervention was in play.

"God was preparing me," Perry, the owner/director of the Advocates for Autism Resource Center in the heart of downtown Dawson, said as she talked about the lifetime she's devoted to helping others deal with a neurological disorder science is only now starting to understand. "He led me to what was my calling, which was something of a miracle because after 14 years of working with autistic children, my own son, Reginald (Browner), was diagnosed on the autism spectrum.

"God was getting me ready."

The preparation, obviously, took.

Perry and her husband, Kenneth Perry, opened the Dawson facility 14 years ago on faith. There was no funding at the time, and the Perrys used the money they made from her position as a special ed teacher, a position she held for 31 years before retiring to devote her time to the autism center, and his work at Marine Corps Logistics Base-Albany to take care of their family's needs and the needs of Lisa's "babies."

"Opening the center was a God-given vision," Lisa Perry said. "It was a calling; I had to do it. We just told ourselves, 'Everything will fall in line.'"

Autism Spectrum Disorder is a neurological disorder that affects normal development in one in 36 children. Its onset begins around the age of 2, and while research is starting to catch up with the disorder, there is no known "cause." Some of the common symptoms, Perry said, are lack of communication, lack of eye contact, lack of social skills, lack of speech development, repetitive behavior and failure to connect with others.

The disorder manifests itself on three levels: Level 1, (previously referred to as Asberger's Syndrome) where there is a higher level of function and less need of support; Level 2, where a moderate level of support is required; and Level 3, where individuals need maximum support from caregivers.

"In 2012, 1 in 110 children internationally was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder," Perry said. "In 2016 it was 1 in 88; in 2018, one in 68; and in 2020, one in 36. Autism was first recognized as a disorder in 1944, so you see the level of diagnosis now. Of course, a lot of that is because now, we know what to look for."

As that 15-year-old working a summer internship in a CETA (Comprehensive Employment & Training Act) program, Lisa Smith started her work with special needs children. It didn't take her long to realize she'd found her calling.

"I just got so attached," she said. "I didn't even want to go back to school; I wanted to stay there, I was so emotionally attached."

After earning a bachelor's degree in Special Education at Albany State University, and master's and specialist degrees in the discipline at Georgia Southwestern State University, Perry started what would be a distinguished three-decades-plus career in education. She had daughters Brittany (now Green) and Briuna (Browner) before son Reginald was born. Around age 2, Reginald started showing signs that Perry had become all too familiar with.

"God said to me, 'I trust you, so I'm going to give you this very special son,'" Perry said. "I was prepared because I'd been working with special needs kids, but it was still a shock. Working with him one-on-one was painstaking in the beginning. But I knew I had to persevere."

The struggles of dealing with Reginald proved too much for his father.

"This — all of what it takes to deal with a child with autism — cost me a husband and a marriage," Perry said. "But, statisticswise, that's kind of normal. There is a high divorce rate among families impacted by autism."

Lisa decided she'd put her son first and "prayed that someone would come along who has a big heart." Her prayers were answered when Kenneth came into her life, and they've been together now for 15 years.

"It's unbelievable, but he has two grandsons (in Texas) who are autistic," Lisa Perry said. "God has blessed us with the capacity to cope."

Clients at the Advocates for Autism Resource Center were part of Perry's "mission work" initially, but soon, mostly through word of mouth, individuals began to seek her out. She set up the center in the city of Dawson's Public Safety Complex and eventually bought the building at 119 N. Main St. that houses the center.

"We developed an after-school program for students and eventually opened an adult day care center for people who aged out of the state system for special needs care," Perry said. "That was a blessing for parents, as it gave them relief from constant care, and we also helped adults on the spectrum to develop vocational and independent living skills."

Perry, who is a certified autism consultant, offers pre-K care, day care, development workshops and other services at the center as well as in-home consultations. She's been able to get some state and local funding for the center, and has gotten financial contributions from Procter & Gamble, Brad Lanier's Homerun Foods, Easterseals and the Advocacy Resource Center in Dougherty County.

Her largest fundraiser is the Autism Walk that she holds each spring.

"We can always use donations; putting a new roof on this 92-year-old building that we now own is a priority project," Perry said. "And we need volunteers who can give some time. (Assistant Manager) Laveisha Lake and (nurse) Brittany (Green) do a great job, especially when I'm out doing consulting work. But they managed things for 10 years before I retired, so they know what to do.

"We'd love for our clients to have the opportunity to work on recreation and motor skills, but with this building, you walk out the front door and you're on the street; you walk out the back door and you're on the street."

Still, Perry continues to be drawn to her special babies by the "passion and purpose" that sustain her.

"Oh, I've definitely had my days, just like anyone would," she said. "I've been weak and asked 'Why me?' But I've been given this gift, and I have to make the most of it.

"This remains my calling. And I'll continue doing it until God says, 'That's it.'"

To contact Perry, call (229) 869-2326 or visit the resource center at 119 N. Main St. in Dawson.