Meet Andrew: Living his best life by putting family first
April is Autism Acceptance Month, a time to promote autism acceptance, celebrate unique differences, and foster inclusivity. It’s especially meaningful to Andrew B., global vice president of legal operations at ServiceNow, whose son was diagnosed with autism. Today, Andrew is living his best life by putting his family first.
Andrew and his wife started noticing their nearly 2-year-old son, William, was missing milestones, performing repetitive tasks, and showing little interest in playing with others. After early intervention, they received William’s diagnosis.
“The symptoms of autism are so broad,” Andrew says. “It's a spectrum of course. So, you can have very mild autism or very profound. William is certainly in the more profound category.”
As William grew older, he was unable to talk and express his needs. Simple things such as communicating hunger, thirst, and the need to use the bathroom were difficult. This often led to frustration and even self-harming.
“He would go through a phase of biting his hand or basically punching himself in the head,” Andrew explains. “That's a very difficult thing to see as a dad. You feel almost helpless to try and help your child.”
Two life-changing calls
A close friend of Andrew’s wife had told the couple about Kaufman Children’s Center, a Michigan-based leader in innovative treatment programs for children with special needs. They applied, despite a discouraging five-year waitlist. Then, fate stepped in.
“Because of COVID, international travel had stopped, so a lot of international children who would typically go there couldn’t get into the country,” Andrew points out. “All of a sudden, we got a phone call to say, ‘Hey, the five-year waitlist is now three months. You have a place!’”
Before Andrew and his family could claim William’s spot at the Kaufman Center, they had to face one more hurdle. Andrew had recently accepted a new role at ServiceNow that meant moving his family from New York to California, not Michigan. Andrew nervously called his boss, ServiceNow General Counsel Russ Elmer and was blown away by his reaction.
“He said, ‘Andy, if you don't move [to Michigan], I might fire you,’” Andrew says. “He was joking, of course, but his point was, ‘You have to go. This is William's best chance at a better life.’ We are so grateful for the support we got from him and from the company. It was such a relief.”
Living without limits
William has been attending the Kaufman Center for more than three years and has made incredible progress. “He now is able to live everyday life in a much easier way,” Andrew says. “We can leave the house together, and he interacts with family much more. Although he still only has a handful of words, he can express certain words upon request.”
Andrew attributes much of William’s progress to the support he’s received from his ServiceNow colleagues. There have been occasions when Andrew has had to step away from a Zoom call immediately without any explanation.
“If William's having a bad couple of minutes and needs his dad, my team never questions me,” Andrew explains. “It's absolutely not an overblown statement for me to say that ServiceNow has changed our lives.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in 36 children is identified with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). That means most children are likely to encounter a peer in their school or community who has autism. Andrew pleads for patience and understanding.
“I've experienced the best and the worst of society in public with William,” he says. “My ask and my hope is that we can continue to accept children and people who may sound or act differently. We should never try to change those people. We should try to change the world for them so they can be accepted.”
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