Jacob Shen

My son Jacob’s story is very much our family’s story. Jacob was born in 1988 and we realized when he was three that he had autism. My late husband and I never took this categorization as a limit. Yes, he needs much more help than our other children, but we gave Jacob what he needs.

Autism is like a window, shut against the outside world. Now, dedicated parents and educators try to open these windows. In our family, Jacob’s father and I tutored him every day. We were constantly inventing methods to teach him good hand and eye coordination. He can hear very small sounds, but could not recognize our voices as we talk. This did not discourage us. Instead, we got more tactile in our approach. For instance, to introduce mathematics I let him follow my pencil movements as I did calculations, counting forward in addition and counting backward in subtraction. It was a challenge to introduce math concepts without modern technology, but I found a way. I used another method to teach the science of energy and force, through drawing simple machines by hand and explaining what I was drawing. I used lighting and a globe to teach Jacob about day and night, and the four seasons.

Much of my inspiration came from my very determined husband, Yung-Ching Shen, who died in 2016. Jacob’s father had a PhD from RPI, and fame in his Research as ASCE computing journal board member. This dad was a Tiger Dad! He pushed all of our children to excel, and insisted that Jacob’s siblings must contribute to help their brother, too. Some of this was natural, as our younger daughter Patricia served as his bodyguard, keeping away bullies at school. She is now working for Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, and serves as his financial protector for life.

Big sister Chi – she was the Colonie Town Teenager of the year in 1998, and now works for S.O.M. Architecture Firm – followed Dad’s will and tutored Jacob when his violin teacher was ready to give up on him. After 10 day’s ear training with David Center Sound Therapist, he worked with sister Chi to learn to play the violin. He improved and reached NYSMA’s highest high school level, level six, with a score of 98. Jacob also had success with speech therapist Donna Eastman, who played the guitar to help him use music to sound out words. And finally we could hear Jacob talk.

Dad also helped train Jacob with the Blue-Fin Swimming Club. Jacob observed how blue-fins swim in the sea, and applied that to his own swimming. Jacob made the Varsity Swimming team, and with his teammates’ help, won many competitions in 100 meter and 200 meter butterfly. Jacob even went to the New York State Empire Games because of a teammate’s absence. He overcame a fear of water, and eventually beat Albany High swimmer in school competition for 100 meter butterfly. However, his sensory problems made him slow down, worried he would hit the wall. If not for that, Dad said he could be #1 swimmer in the autism world.

After a high school official announced Jacob was functioning as a second grader in a 10th grade classroom, the school moved him to a self-contained classroom

with only math, art, and music as the subjects. We had a big fight with the school’s decision, and a long hearing process proceeded. The two sides had opposing opinions of how to educate Jacob. My husband and I fought for the school to serve our son’s intelligence, but ultimately, it became our responsibility to work with him. My husband quit his research to teach Jacob. I don’t know how, but he helped Jacob get a GED, plus an associate degree at HVCC. He also pushed him to attend SUNY Albany to study Math with a Computer Science Minor.

One thing Jacob’s father couldn’t understand was his drawing. Dad hated that Jacob spent whole days drawing, seemingly lost in his autistic world. He didn’t support him to be an artist. However, I see the value, and am helping Jacob be an artist, learning with him at SUNY Albany. Because of accomodations for his autism, I serve as a bridge between the professors and him. The model is that the professor instructs me personally, and then I teach my son at any time. I help take his experiences to new levels to enrich his soul and mind. When professors ask me how I communicate with him, I want to say that mother and son are connected to each other by heart, to heart. Jacob knows me by carefully paying attention to my voice and my commands. The study of art is an extension of our togetherness. After Dad had an accident and passed away, we learned how to take care of each other and make our Shen family grow again! Jacob helps me do all the man’s work at home, caring for nearly a third of an acre and a five bedroom house, plus an in-ground pool. He is the best son, so tender, so attentive to mom’s needs. He may be speechless, but as people, words are not the only ways we speak to each other. If he can’t do things for me, he will call his sisters. Jacob touches my heart.

Art is a big part of our life. We keep finding objects and stories to paint, like the Albany Symphony, which helped us explore the Erie Canal “Water Music” program. We consider the composer’s mind to help create our drawing. In our drawing of “White Snake Tale,” the dancer is from Taiwan’s Cloud Gate Dancing Group. That dancing form is nothing we could invent – we are just catching the skill of a professional dancer’s expressive and beautiful form. The idea of the Blue Waltz is similar. The dancer jumped and moved gracefully, and I put brushy stokes, making movement in the background to show the feeling of air blowing mountain snow. This comes from the habits I developed as a child, when practicing Chinese writing.

This is a journey my son and I take together. I help Jacob connect with his materials and reach out to you. I think you will be touched by his magic brain and enter his magic wonder land. Are you ready to let your imagination fly?