"The Biggest Loser" Couple To Talk About New Hope For Autism At Free Event In Warren
Anyone who has an autistic child knows that the stress of the disorder can pay a heavy toll on the entire family – sometimes literally.
“Our son’s struggle with autism was so stressful and frustrating,” explain Phil and Amy Parham. “We turned to food as a coping mechanism because we often felt helpless.”
But life changed dramatically for the overweight couple when they were selected to compete in season six of the reality show, “The Biggest Loser.” As a result, they lost a combined total of 256 pounds. As luck would have it, they also found hope and help for their autistic son, Rhett.
“We were contacted by the director of LearningRx, a local brain training company who saw us on TV talking about Rhett’s struggles,” says Amy. “We got Rhett into the program and it completely changed our lives – perhaps even more than our weight loss. His results are amazing and we want to tell other families struggling with autism that there’s hope.”
The reality TV stars will share their personal experiences with autism on March 30th at 9:00 am at a free public community Autism and Learning Disabilities Resources Forum. The forum, which is being sponsored by LearningRx Warren, a local brain training center, will be held at Stonecrest Community Church, 11 Technology Drive in Warren. A number of autism-related providers and support groups will be on hand, including The Comprehensive Autism Medical Assessment and Treatment Center, The Arc of Somerset County, Children’s Specialized Hospital, Mt. Bethel Village, Lord Stirling School, Hi-Step Summer Social Skills Program, Martinsville Therapeutic Massage, Bright Star Therapy, Rocking Horse Rehab and The Uncommon Thread.
