Most people know Chuck Wicks as a country music artist and radio personality, but his roles as husband and father are his most cherished. Recently, he and his wife Kasi decided to share the joys and struggles of raising a child on the autism spectrum.
“Tucker was diagnosed just before his second birthday,” says Kasi. “My first reaction, honestly, was devastation. I was so fearful of the unknown.”
She had a feeling something wasn’t right when Tucker, now 4, wasn’t hitting certain milestones, such as pointing, clapping, or responding to his name.
Adds Chuck, “I was concerned like any parent would be, but I just looked at my boy and felt love - the kind of love that can’t be shaken. As his Dad, I’m here to love him regardless and give him every opportunity in life to excel the best way he can. I’m his father first, but he’s also my guy, my best friend.”
Since Tucker was classified as non-verbal, Kasi and Chuck wanted to find the best ways to help him communicate. They enrolled him in Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) therapy shortly after his diagnosis.
“It's a type of therapy that is used to really understand how behavior works and how it’s affected by the environment,” says Kasi. “It also helps give an understanding of how learning takes place with different individuals.”
Tucker attends ABA five days a week for six hours, and during that time, he also participates in speech therapy, occupational therapy, and feeding therapy. “We decided on this program after lots of research and talking to other parents and friends of ours who were going through similar situations,” she says.
During the two years of consistent therapies, the couple has seen an increase in Tucker’s verbalization of specific words, as well as a significant improvement in his social skills. “ABA has helped him find other ways to communicate through words, social interactions, and his AAC device (a tablet that he can choose pictures and words to communicate with),” says Kasi.
One of the goals of sharing their experiences is to let other parents know they’re not alone. “We can help others by sharing different therapies we are doing or tactics that maybe someone else didn’t think of or hear about,” says Chuck. “We are also watching and learning from what others are doing and constantly researching how we can help our boy.”
Another goal is to let parents know that while it’s okay to be sad or fearful at times, an Autism diagnosis does not mean life is over. “Tucker has changed who we are to the core,” says Kasi. “We look at life so much differently and are so appreciative of the many blessings that we do have in our lives. We celebrate so many more ‘little’ wins these days.” And in the end, she says, they feel like the biggest wins.
In many ways, Tucker is just like any other child. His favorite TV shows include Toy Story 2 and 3, CoComelon, and Monsters Inc. “More than anything, though, he loves being outside, playing with a water hose or playing chase with his cousins, Memphis and Navy,” says Chuck.
“One smile from our boy and our day is made. Luckily, he smiles and laughs a lot, and he absolutely loves his Mama, Daddy, and sister, Avery.”
The couple’s ultimate goal is to have healthy, happy, and successful kids. “We are a house full of love, faith, and family,” says Chuck. “Jesus is in our lives and in all of us. We give it all to Him.”
Follow Chuck and Kasi’s journey on Instagram.
@chuckwicks
@kasirosa
@callmedree
“Tucker has changed who we are to the core.”