A teen's frustration

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTHI) - Think back to when you were a teenager. How many times did you feel confused and frustrated? Now, just think about what those years would be like if you couldn't communicate or understand what you're thinking or feeling?

Here's what life is like for Erin and her family.

You wouldn't think asking your 14-year old daughter to take a bath would cause a fight. But it happens a lot between Erin and her mother, Becca.

"Her communication skills are so limited. So when she has the frustrations that teenagers are going to have one, she doesn't understand them. She can't reason them out in her own mind and she can't tell us what's wrong and so that's when we get the tantrums," said Becca.

Becca said these outbursts are difficult for her because she can feel Erin's frustration.

"She'll use her voice to get our attention, but as for any real speech. I'm not sure that we'll get it," said Becca.

So Erin uses pictures and sign language to communicate.

"Her first sign of course was ball," said Becca.

Although Erin's physically growing into an adult, her interests are child-like. She has a bouncy ball collection that could easily rival any toy department's stash.

Erin is also especially fond of the bouncy balls with a "10" or "11" on the bar code. Her love of numbers doesn't end there. Erin is obsessed with digital clocks.

"She'll watch the digital clock sometimes and when it changes she'll ask where the last one went," said her father, Dan.

When she's not playing with a ball, Erin's spinning in an office chair. Around and around, always with a ball and never getting dizzy.

"One of her teachers said that if she was a normal teenager she'd probably be a little stinker," said Dan.

Erin's teenage side does come out sometimes. Her father tried doing her hair, but he could never get it the way she wanted it.

But Erin can go from worrying about her hair to not being able to put her shoes on in a heartbeat. The teenager is gone and the little girl has reappeared. Because of this, Erin will never be able to live on her own.

"I think one of the biggest, hardest things is not knowing what her, what's going to happen to her when Becca and I move on," said Dan.

Most likely she'll live with her older sister, Alex.

"It's sad. It's a burden Alex shouldn't have to bear, but you know it is what it is," said Becca.

Erin's a reminder that life has its challenges, but in the end, as her favorite band The Beatles would say, all you need is love.