Parents of autistic twins didn't wait for a cure to find happiness

CLEVELAND -- Lisa and Jim Cordaro know how tough it is to raise an autistic child.  They tell other parents in their shoes not to worry, laughter is just around the corner.

The Cordaro twins giggle the day away. When they came into this world, just like other kids, Ryan and Rose brought a lot of joy to their parents.

Jim and Lisa Cordaro had their hands full. With all the newborn crying and feeding and changing and cuddling, there eventually came questions too.

The twins were almost two and the Cordaros were worried about their speech development. There were other developmental questions too. They saw a doctor who confirmed their suspicions.

Rose was the first to be diagnosed. She is in the middle of the autism spectrum. Several years later, Ryan was diagnosed on the high end.

"The day we were told, I was just, Lisa called me at work and I had to actually come home," said Jim.

"We were extremely sad, we were devastated," said Lisa.

Like many moms and a good number of dads they started searching for answers. The Cordaros say they weren't so much questioning, why this happened, and were just trying to find out how to best help their children.

Even though autism is the fastest developmental disorder in the country, there's no manual for parents.

"There are a lot of things out there, but you also have to do a lot of work to find them. You have to do a lot of reading and talking to people, networking and finding the right doctors," said Lisa.

The Cordaros make themselves available to other parents because they remember how tough dealing with it was when they first got the news.

"Eventually when you're happy you then feel the same as other parents, but usually you do go through an awkward weird time," said Lisa.

"There's stress involved, but I'm sure there's stress with your typical children too, just a different type of stress," said Jim.

"Cleveland is a great place to live if you have a kid with autism. There's a ton of schools around. Things to choose from, places to go for support but you have to go out and get it. You have to find it," said Lisa.

Lisa continued to say, "We're in such a good place right now. They're both in good schools that are completely appropriate for them and life is good, life is pretty good for us. It's crazy but it's good."

Over the last 15 years, the cases of autism have grown at a rapid pace. According to Autism Speaks, in the United States, there is a new diagnosis every 20 minutes. That's why according to the National Institutes of Health, the cause can't be genetic but may be environmental.

While to date no one has discovered what causes autism, many families like the Cordaros have learned not only how to live with autism but how to fill each day with happiness and laughter.