CALDWELL, Idaho — April is Autism Acceptance and Awareness Month. It's all about challenging stereotypes and celebrating and sharing the stories and experiences of people who have autism in our community. According to the National Institutes of Health there are about 30 thousand diagnosed cases of autism in Idaho right now, but many people on the Autism spectrum go undiagnosed.
Tim Rednour is a high school English teacher at Vallivue Academy, an alternative high school in Caldwell that works to help students get the credits they need to graduate. He also just happens to have autism.
"I got hired right out of college, and it's been great ever since," Rednour said . "I just try to put forth that yes, I'm autistic and no, it doesn't slow me down."
He said he loves being in the classroom each day.
"My goal is to get them to graduate, to get them credit, to get them ready to go where they are going, college, the work force," Rednour said .
His classroom is the place to be at Vallivue Academy. It's always packed with students at lunchtime. The students are drawn to him.
"I was diagnosed, I don't quite remember it myself, but I was three years old," Rednour said.
His parents were his biggest cheerleaders.
"That's where it starts, good family support," Rednour said. "I had a bunch of therapy, I had someone with me during elementary school, keeping an eye on me, spending time with me to see how I was doing. I also had out of school services, I was on an IEP my entire schooling career."
Rednour said he worked hard in elementary school and in therapy. He then went to high school online. Thriving with the right support system in place.
"I was getting ready to go to college and I was getting worried because, you know, paying for college and all that," he said.
That's where Idaho Vocational Rehabilitation comes into his story. Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) is a state-federal program, and the goal is to assist people with disabilities to prepare for the future.
"One of the things they do is help people with disabilities enter the workforce, but they also help people like me go on to college," Rednour said "So, I went and talked to them and I qualified. I went to CWI for a few years, then I went to Boise State to finish my degree. They helped pay for it, I got scholarships through them for school and that helped me get through my schooling get to where I am now."
While going to college at Boise State, he said he found his passion.
"I was like I'm going to try to be a teacher because English has always been my thing, my subject," Rednour said. "I'm good at this, I enjoy it, maybe I should make a career out of it!"
Vallivue Academy Principal Rafael Cdebaca hired Rednour.
"Oh he's phenomenal, he's great with his content knowledge and he connects with the students.That's what we need here," Cdebaca said.
The principal said the fact that Rednour was on the autism spectrum wasn't something they focused on.
"It didn't really influence our decision one way or another, we just try to look at the individual and what they bring to the table and autism didn't really factor in,"Cdebaca said. "We all felt that he was a good fit for our program."
Rednour's students love him.
"He teaches ELA and it's really nice because I feel like it's the one english class I've actually understood," said Mekayla Alfaro, 17, a student at Vallivue Academy. "You can tell he's a really dedicated person."
They said his autism diagnosis inspires them to see that anything is possible.
"It's cool to see what he has overcome, and honestly he's a very down to earth person. he likes to connect with the students one on one instead of just looking at us like a number," said student Halena Baker, 17.
Idaho Vocational Rehabilitation was so impressed with his success, they invited him to our nation's capital to share it.
"Back in October, they flew me to Washington DC to sit on a panel for the 50th anniversary of the Vocational Rehabilitation Act," Rednour said. "Going in there, bumping arms with a lot of politicians, the Secretary of Education was there! I got to talk about my experience and how Idaho Voc Rehab had been such a tremendous help to me in my life."
He also has an important message for any students in Idaho with autism, or a learning disability or challenge.
"I sit in on IEP meetings all the time to share my experience with parents and students," Rednour said. "I tell them, you just need to find people in your corner. Your disability cannot and will not slow you down. You might have some challenges but those can all be worked through with the right supports."
"For Mr. Rednour to be so open about his struggles and how he's dealt with it and overcome them, is an inspiration to students," said Principal Cdebaca.
Rednour said he is dedicated to helping all of his students succeed.
"I'm in the perfect place, to be able to pay it forward as I like to say, because I had a lot of people help me get me to where I am today," he said. "This is the next chapter of my story."
Watch more Local News:
See the latest news from around the Treasure Valley and the Gem State in our YouTube playlist:
HERE ARE MORE WAYS TO GET NEWS FROM KTVB:
Download the KTVB News Mobile App
Apple iOS: Click here to download
Google Play: Click here to download
Watch news reports for FREE on YouTube: KTVB YouTube channel
Stream Live for FREE on ROKU: Add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching 'KTVB'.
Stream Live for FREE on FIRE TV: Search ‘KTVB’ and click ‘Get’ to download.