He needed his own room because he talks to himself - sometimes a a very high volume.

— Kathy Ohman, President, FORWARD

April is for Acceptance

What is the lived experience with autism on Cape Cod?

Click link to hear more about living on Cape Cod with autism.

17 April 2026 – DENNIS, MA – Jodie Tulloch smiles gently as she talks about her 38-year old son. “He’s kind, loving, he’s a good boy” she says. “But he’s not 38; he’s 10.”

Tulloch serves on the board of Cape Cod’s FORWARD, which develops supportive housing for autistic adults. Her son has autism.

“It can be very challenging and it can be amazing,” she said.

What is autism?

During April’s Autism Acceptance month, Tulloch and others who live with autism give shout-outs for not only awareness, but also acceptance.

“Autism is a genetic disability that is a very complicated genetic disability” said Kathy Ohman, president of FORWARD.

“We have two sons who have autism and they are and always have been very very different people in terms of their abilities and their thinking and how they are able to negotiate the world.”

How does autism impact people?

Ohman says variations in several genes combine to create a range of severity and symptoms. Further complicating the issue, other challenges often co-exist. Ohman describes it as a sort of interlocking circle, with autism at the center.

Anxiety often pairs with autism; OCD, seizure disorders, and a variety of physical issues may appear — but not always. People with autism run the gamut from high achieving scientists to adults needing supportive care their whole lives, and everything in between.

That’s why the Autism Society says the condition is now called autism spectrum disorder – with an emphasis on spectrum. It affects people differently and to varying degrees

How does autism look?

Austim appears more often in boys than in girls. It appears most often during early childhood.

According to the Autism Society, some of the flags in a child include atypical speech patterns, no speech at all, struggling to interpret nonverbal communication, restrictive and repetitive behavior, activities and interests, and extreme sensitive or conversely no sensitivity to sensory stimuli. People might observe constant repeating sounds of phrases, spinning, over-reactions to touch, sound, or light.

Is there a cure?

Ohamn says the disorder might not “curable” in traditional sense, but it is treatable. Today, early intervention play a key role in helping children build skills for helping them move through the world.

For many people, a first realistic look at autism came in HBO’s popular 2010 biopic about Temple Grandin. The film introduced us to an autistic woman who become one of the top scientists in the humane livestock handling industry. Her mind’s view of the world differed from those around her, but those differences also created a brilliant life.

Why do people focus on acceptance?

For Tulloch and Ohman, their children range from a UMass graduate working on Cape Cod, to a young adult living in an independent-with-support-services community, to an adult child living at home with day care.

They are all loved and loving human beings with skills, interests, and intelligence – and they all share the pain and frustrations of fighting to be accepted as they are.

And that’s part of the point of Autism Acceptance month. Over the several past decades, things have changed, and for the better. Awareness led to more effective early intervention, and more … well .. acceptance.

Have things changed?

These two moms attest to that. After years of having children who were excluded and asked to leave, they have all finally found a place and acceptance.

“I’m just happy that he’s happy” said Tulloch about her son. “And that he’s finally accepted at Community Connections. We call it a safe place.”

“You don’t know how any of this is going to go when you have a child. Like whatever you thought it was going to be it’s not, “ said Ohman. “Everyone’s family is a little different but there’s a lot of people who have a touch and are on the spectrum everywhere you go.”