Meet siblings Alric and Lili Ashbrook, Hope For Three’s October’s Autism All-Stars!

Big brother Alric is eight years old and described by his family as a very kindhearted, loving, thoughtful, and caring boy. He always offers to help his family share with them and enjoys assisting his mom at her bakery. He also cares deeply for others in this world, as whenever he sees or thinks someone is in need, he asks if he can help them. Despite being diagnosed at age five with autism, Alric is a thinker and creator with a very imaginative mind. He has been a fighter since birth and has overcome many losses and challenges. He enjoys building structures out of Magnet Tiles or Legos or by any means that allows him to test his physics knowledge as he strives to build bigger and taller. Alric also loves pizza, chocolate milk, electronics, going to the beach, and reading. This past year, Alric has flourished in all areas, including making new friends in the neighborhood and prioritizing his schoolwork, chores, and time with friends. He recently took the training wheels off his bike by himself, and without fear, he took off riding on his own.

LiLi was adopted from an orphanage in China approximately five years ago. Her past is mostly unknown, and so is her exact age. Lili had a very traumatic and neglectful life before coming to her forever family in the U.S. Her adoption paper’s age at the time she was adopted is stated as two years old; doctors believe she is approximately 20 to 36 months older than her paper’s age and could be as old as nine to ten years of age. After almost a year with doctors and specialists, Lili was diagnosed with autism and over 20 other medical diagnoses, all of which have been part of her struggle. Lili is a beautiful example of rising above your setbacks and thriving. She has learned English over the last five years, endured surgery to remove cancer, learned how to eat correctly, and discovered the love and importance of family. She is exceptionally caring and enjoys helping her family and those closest to her. During the first year with her new family, the only attachment was, understandably, Mom. Since then, Lili has slowly learned to be attached to her dad, a process that was most meaningful to her and especially to her parents. Food is Lili’s favorite thing above everything! She also enjoys being outside, coloring, and music, as it also seems to move her. Lili is a beautiful and resilient child who can change the world for the better.

Having a sister, let alone a special needs, adopted sister, complicates challenges and provides an amazing opportunity for Alric to continue to grow in many ways. They complement one another remarkably; if you didn’t know, you would truly believe they are biologically related. Both Alric and Lili are loving, giving, helpful, and strong. They adore their family, strive to help others, and continue to rise above all obstacles they face. This is what makes them both Autism All-Stars!