Minneapolis Officer Shares Her Family's Autism Journey
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- For some, autism is only something you've read about.
But it's an around-the-clock reality for many parents, including Officer Kristin Porras.
The Minneapolis Police officer works in the northwestern part of the city. She is also a mother of two.
Officer Porras will be pulling rope Saturday to help fundraise for Fraser, an autism support center. This pull will be personal for her family.
When you meet her 6-year-old son, Carlos, you can probably tell he is a social child, and a math whiz.
"He's the kid who can put the problem in his head, doesn't have to write anything down and can give you an answer," Officer Porras said. "I envy that."
But some things do not come as easily for Carlos. Officer Porras says he struggles with communication and anger.
"My fear has always been that little boys who can't control their emotions turn into big boys that end up in my back seat," she said.
Carlos was diagnosed as being on the autism spectrum.
"I was crying every day for a while, it got that difficult," she said. "So trying to find help is very important, just so you know that you're sane."
And that's what Frasier is all about. Officer Porras is helping WCCO raise money for autism support by pulling rope against St. Paul police officers.
"We definitely said 'yes' because it's for a great cause," said Minneapolis Police Sgt. Catherine Michel. "But we also have several officers in our department that have children with autism, so it's very personal."
Support resources and early intervention were a game changer for Officer Porras and Carlos. The two are in intensive therapy, and they have found the right therapist and doctor.
"We're getting there, and he's still learning and he's doing awesome," she said. "He'll get there."
