Local woman cares for disabled sons dispite vision, hearing loss

By KEVIN COUTURE

PLATTSBURGH -- Sherri Gonyea thinks assisting her two sons with their disabilities is just something a mother should do.

But Sherri isn't just any mother -- she, herself, is legally blind and wears hearing aids.

Jeremy, 21, has autism, while his brother, James, 15, has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

"It's just like being any other mom," Sherri said. "You do what you have to do. They are your responsibility, and nobody else will do it for you."

Although her son wasn't diagnosed with autism until the age of 9, Sherri knew long before.

She said that she could tell by his hand movements and by the fact that he didn't like people touching him, a key symptom of autism.

"Jeremy used to lay around on the floor and not do anything. He used to be very sensitive -- nobody could touch him, hold him or hug him."

Needing assistance with personal hygiene, bathing and dressing, he has made great strides to burst the "bubble" that surrounded him for so many years, Sherri said.

"He's more comfortable with people now."

Jeremy attended Champlain Valley Educational Services in 1990, graduating this past June.

He now can be found Monday through Friday at the ARC Path Center, having occupational therapy, physical therapy and learning simple tasks.

The Path program is designed to help individuals cope more efficiently with their environment in such areas as social behavior, peer interaction and independent community functions.

"I think he's learned a lot over the years," Sherri said, looking lovingly at her nonverbal son. "It's just that he can't express himself."