External Evidence,
Internal Transformation

If the Paige Wyss of a couple of years ago saw the Victor Wyss of today, she might not recognize her own son.

Back then, Victor was an overweight pre-teen heading toward a weight of almost 200 lbs. Today, at 15 years old, he’s dozens of pounds lighter, with a physique honed by regular visits to the weight room.

But it’s not just the physical Victor that Paige of the past could find unrecognizable. Victor’s also been transformed on the inside. The formerly shy teen is outgoing and confident. The student who once prompted calls from school about behavior problems gets through days without an issue. The kid who once was so overwhelmed he contemplated suicide is stable and happy.

“He feels so far removed from where he was,” Paige says. “He has just taken off in such positive directions.”

Paige credits Damar with a big share of this transformation.

The mother of three (Victor has a 19-year-old brother, Phoenix, and 12-year-old sister, Grey) brought Victor to Damar about four years ago after a previous service provider suddenly closed its doors. Diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder at age 8, Victor at that time not only was struggling with autism but also with the travails of middle school. “It was a really mentally anguishing time,” Paige says.

Paige says she quickly learned that she had found in Damar a reliable resource for guidance and counsel, and that Damar Behavior Clinician Sara Rennisen will do all she can to help. Describing Sara as a “coach” for the family, Paige says she has helped Victor navigate relationships, change schools, succeed in a challenging counselor-in-training summer job at a Boy Scots of American camp, and more.

“Sara is very attentive,” Paige says. “Sometimes it’s hard to believe she has other clients.”

Of course, Paige also gives Victor credit for his progress. He’s pushed beyond comfort zones and seized opportunities to make new friends. He’s found passions and embraced them. And he’s developed a strong sense of self-discipline.

Victor’s physical transformation – at 5’11”, he’s maintaining his weight at 155 lbs. – offers a glimpse of how this all came together. Once he realized how much he enjoys working out, he started hitting the gym at the Baxter YMCA regularly, doing whatever it takes – riding his bike, calling friends for a ride, whatever – to get there. He also pays attention to what he eats and makes his health, both mental and physical, a priority.

By applying that same kind of drive to the rest of his life, Victor has put himself on a new path. Once worried that her son would never be able to live alone, Paige believes Victor will go to college (he wants to go to her alma mater, Indiana University) and one day live independently.

Asked what counsel she would give other parents raising a child with autism spectrum disorder, Paige says she would tell them to expect hard times but not to let them overwhelm the good times. Also, she urges parents not to focus so much on shaping better behaviors that they don’t let their kids be kids. “You really need to let your kids be expressive,” she says. “Don’t try to suppress it all, don’t try to put them in a ‘normalcy mode’ or become so rigid you lose perspective.”

And, finally, make sure you have support, like she has with Damar.

“Damar ran parallel with Victor going into just more positivity in his life,” she says. “They touch your lives so intimately".