Ellingson Family

by Sara Raynor

Deanna and Adam Ellingson live in Roseburg, and are parents of four girls: Leanna, 15; Georgia, 12; Charlotte, 10 and Emma, 8. Deanna is going to school and working part time, while Adam works as a truck driver. They have been seeking help for their oldest since she was just 2 years old, while their youngest was just given an Autism diagnosis recently. They have had difficulties and delays getting diagnoses and treatment through traditional means and have had to seek privately paid doctors to get help for their two daughters with special needs.

Originally Leanna was diagnosed with Oppositional Defiance Disorder and behavioral disorder. Her cognitive function is delayed and she has trouble remembering how to do things. These didn’t really seem to fit her and even with these diagnoses the family had problems getting an IEP for her. They fought for a 504, and got it but were denied an aid for her in class. Leanna would get in trouble for things she was not capable of doing differently, so eventually they decided it was easier just to homeschool. 

It wasn’t until Deanna was in school for her Bachelors in Criminal Justice that it occurred to her, while reading about fetal alcohol syndrome, that it could be what they were dealing with in her oldest daughter. She remembered not knowing she was pregnant until she was 4 months along, during a tumultuous, abusive relationship that she eventually escaped. When she mentioned this additional history to Leanna’s doctor, she was told that knowing this was a possibility put a lot of pieces together for Leanna’s diagnosis. 

Even through years of therapy, Leanna has trouble doing things on her own or even remembering to take her necessary medications. Organizing her life and room is still a big challenge for her and Deanna has to help her weekly to reset her room into order and cleanliness. Leanna and Emma share a room because they just “get” each other. They know their brains work differently. Georgia and Charlotte are both very clean so they share a room. 

Emma is perfectly happy entertaining herself with sensory toys or playing by herself in her room. She doesn’t like people entering her bubble. She is a builder and loves her cat. Every day is different and managing the four sisters at home while homeschooling is a constantly chaotic day for Deanna. Leanna is very good with Emma and when she becomes too much for the other sisters, Leanna will take her to another part of the house to play.

The family loves nature. They enjoy camping and outdoor sports. They used to go to SPLASH water park in Springfield often, when it was open. Leanna loves to do art and will draw for hours. She also likes to bake and share her creations with friends and neighbors. The younger girls like to play Roblox, but have very different personalities so they don’t always get along.

Deanna is a dedicated mom who is pursuing her degree in order to help other youth in the community who face similar challenges to Leanna. She wants to be an advocate for these children. She has been working as a PSW, recently graduated from UCC, and expects to graduate with her degree at Portland State University in Spring of 2023.

She has very little family support and keeps hitting walls when advocating for her daughters but she doesn’t give up. She seeks help from other knowledgeable parents with similar challenges. She learns from every experience and shows a lot of determination. She encourages other parents not to give up and never stop advocating for your children because sometimes the breakthroughs happen from your own education and not by someone on the outside.