Michael Mercer

St. Anthony School Programs Student...In his own words

My name is Michael Mercer. I was born March 6, 1990. I am the son of John and Doris Mercer. I have a brother named EJ. I also have a cat named Kiki.

My favorite childhood memories are going to Kennywood and trick or treating. I like lots of the rides at Kennywood. Some of my favorites are the Exterminator, the Log Jammer and the Whip. One year at Halloween, I dressed as Harpo Marx. I wore a trench coat, a blonde wig, a top hat and carried a horn. Many people thought I looked good.

My family and I have been on some fun vacations. In Pennsylvania, we've been to Gettysburg, Hershey Park, Scranton and Harrisburg. We went to Columbus, Ohio to visit my Uncle Paul. In 2005 we all went to Chicago to see the White Sox and Cubs. This past summer we visited New York City. There we saw the Yankees play, Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum and a play called "Spamalot." I really liked going to New York because of the Empire State Building, Times Square and Yankee Stadium. We have also visited Niagra Falls in Canada, and the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.

I have been to a number of schools. I went to pre-school at Phillips School. I went to kindergarten at Resurrection School. I spent first, second and third grade at Brookline School because they had a special Resource Room for autistic kids, but it wasn't so special. Then I spent fourth through eighth grade at St. Thomas More in Bethel Park. They had a St. Anthony's Resource Room. It was good. Now I am a junior at Bishop Canevin. I really like Bishop Canevin because you can make friends. I also like the classes and the Resource Room.

My interests are bowling, watching movies like "Dracula," "Spaceballs," and "Star Wars," reading books like "To Kill a Mockingbird" and playing video games like "WWE Wrestling" and "Crash Bandicoot."

Some of you might like to know what Autism is like. For me, I like to have everything kind of neat. I do things to keep myself from getting bored like going on the computer, watching TV and playing outside. I have trouble talking to people, but I am trying. I do not like big crowds, because I feel nervous. And sometimes I have trouble finding the right words to express my emotions. But most of the time, I just feel like a sixteen year old guy.

A Note from Michael's Parents

Michael is a young man with autism. There has been much attention paid to the subject lately, most recently the cover of Time Magazine. But it was not like that in 1993 when we began our journey to find out what was happening to our son, Michael. We enrolled Michael in pre-school when he displayed no verbal skills by the age of 3. After the first year, the instructor suggested we have Michael tested for autism. The teacher's suspicions were confirmed at the Children's Hospital Child Development Unit. After a second year of pre-school, we tried a regular half-day kindergarten classroom at Resurrection. That did not work out, although Michael completed the year with the help of an aide. The City of Pittsburgh was beginning a special classroom for autistic children, and Michael was among the first enrolled. But after three years, it was clear that the situation was not meeting Michael's needs.

Then we found St. Anthony's. Here was a program that treated both the students and parents with respect and care. In addition, it provided its students with a religious education, which was something that was nearly impossible before. At every possible opportunity, their students mixed-in with the general population of the school. In the classroom, the lunchroom, and at extra-curricular activities, St. Anthony's students were not "the special kids," but a part of the student body.

For five years at St. Thomas More, and now beginning his third year at Bishop Canevin, Michael has received an education that has focused on his specific needs including speech therapy, living skills and other practical skills necessary to function in the real world. But in addition, he has had the chance to read books like "To Kill a Mockingbird" English class, and learn about the world through regular classes in History and Geography. Michael is also taught about the love of Jesus, and he experiences it every day through his teachers and fellow students.

We cannot express our thanks for those who have supported St. Anthony's over the years. Your generosity is deeply appreciated by all the people whose lives you touch through the work of the St. Anthony's staff. May God Bless each of you.

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