Spotlights
Spotlight: Autism Acceptance Month
At Amergis Healthcare Staffing, our team members are at the heart of everything we do. Each month, our Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) board highlights stories of Amergis employees who demonstrates our core values.
Every April, we celebrate Autism Acceptance Month, a time dedicated to increasing awareness and understanding of autism spectrum disorder. This month-long observance aims to honor the unique perspectives of individuals with autism and promote support for their families. In recognition of Autism Acceptance Month, the D&I team spoke with Ryan Lamping to learn about his journey as a parent to a child with autism and the challenges and triumphs faced by families navigating life with autism.
Ryan & Maddox’s Story
Can you tell us more about your role, what you do, and how you joined Amergis?
As the VP of Sales for Educational Staffing, I am meeting and talking to some of the nation’s largest districts and leaders about all that Amergis can provide to help their vacancy challenges. Working with many of the local office leaders has been phenomenal, as they help to educate me on area specifics, current events/initiatives by these districts, and provide valuable information in our meetings that I don’t have. This role is a culmination of a long career, starting with my time at Maxim Homecare in Cincinnati dealing with all the homecare students who attended school. I found my interest there, then the transition to staffing became an opportunity that I jumped at. It’s been a very rewarding journey to this point, with so much learning and collaboration along the way with so many people at Amergis.
Can you share a bit about your journey as a parent to a child with autism? What have been some of the most rewarding and challenging moments?
Autism is an interesting diagnosis, especially when one of your children has it. It is some of the most challenging, but rewarding, moments of my life. Initially when you learn of the diagnosis, it hits like a ton of bricks. You aren’t sure what’s next, what the future looks like, and your day-to-day is filled with so many questions. We found out about Maddox’s autism diagnosis at 18 months old, so very early on. Because of that, we have been able to learn with Maddox about all that autism entails. For anyone with autism, some of the small moments in life we take for granted are viewed as large milestones. A couple of moments that come to mind instantly is Maddox beginning to learn and use his AAC device (iPad that helps him talk & speak sentences since he is nonverbal), attending first grade in public school, and matching the letters of his name and numbers with 100% accuracy!
How has your child’s autism influenced your perspective on parenting and life in general?
I talk about this often, but I actually am thankful for autism. It seems crazy, but Maddox has shown me a different side of life that centers around taking every day in its simplest form. As individuals, we can get so caught up in our day-to-day with work and life that we
forget to enjoy today for what it is and be thankful for so many of the things taken for granted. Smile, give every task 100% no matter what the results are, and when something good happens in our life, celebrate the heck out of it, no matter how big or small. Additionally, I think autism has shown me as an individual that everyone is important and has value in this world. I hope that one day I get to hear Maddox say “Mom” or “Dad” just one time, but I am so thankful for him because he has shown me that happiness, love, affection, and a smile doesn’t require words.
What strategies or resources have you found most helpful in supporting your child’s development and well-being?
We are fortunate that in today’s society autism is understood at a better level than ever before. We have used our local Children’s Hospital in Cincinnati for autism & therapy programs to give Maddox extra time outside of school for his development. There are county and state level resources that can be used to help provide resources and information for us. Additionally, social media has been a great sounding board as parents of one child and that child being diagnosed with autism. There are autism-specific groups for parents that you can interact with folks across the globe and in your area about places to go, sensory-friendly places, and information to best help specific things that you might be running into as a parent.
What advice would you give to other parents who are navigating similar experiences?
As tough as the initial diagnosis is, there is so much light and fun to be had with autism. Life looks a little bit different at times, but I’d argue so much of life probably has a different pair of “glasses” on it than you had before, and you will be better for it. I’d also say embracing every single moment. It might seem so small to celebrate, but act like you just won the National Championship for each and every one of them. It’s a testament to you and your child’s hard work!
You and your wife recently created a nonprofit, Maddox’s Mission. What inspired you to start your nonprofit organization? Can you tell us more about its mission and goals?
We have always wanted to help but were unsure of how and in what way. With my work at Amergis and my wife being a Principal, we felt like trying to get resources to the greatest number of students with autism was the goal. That got us to where we are now. We just finalized the nonprofit process and have started fundraising initiatives. Our goal is to raise money to buy autism-related & sensory friendly resources for SPED classrooms across the country. We felt this was the best way to get these expensive, sometimes hard-to-get items to the most amount of individuals. SPED teachers can fill out a Google form with their wish list and as we have money available, we will purchase those items for that teacher & classroom. Our hope is to have a wide reach of teachers from across the country to have the best and most innovative autism-friendly resources to create the best student learning environment.
How can team members stay informed about Maddox’s Mission and get involved in supporting its initiatives?
We have created a Facebook & Instagram page to follow for all of the updates and great things we plan to do with Maddox’s Mission!
Join the Amergis Healthcare Staffing Team and Make a Difference
Amergis Staffing always has a wide range of available opportunities for people who are ready to accelerate their careers. We embrace employees from all different backgrounds and always strive to foster a welcoming work environment by following our core values of:
- Promoting diversity and inclusion.
- Winning with integrity and trust.
- Prioritizing quality.
- Investing in development.
- Championing innovation.
- Driving for results.
Learn how you can join the Amergis Staffing team by reaching out online or visiting our jobs site today.
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