30 Days of Autism...Days 11-20

I've managed to keep track of the "middle" Days that I posted on Facebook...I will finish this project...our speed around here is just slower than "normal."

Here are my 30 Days of Autism -- Part Two!

30 Days of Autism: Day 11: Having a functional means of communication is essential to everyone, but even more so for those with special needs. Check out these men and their stories...incredible!

http://www.wretchesandjabberers.org/larryandtracy.php

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0G6VwHx4Jas

 

30 Days of Autism: Day 12

Sports are such a connection to the world for Weston. The way he plays and participates may not be "mainstream," but he is entertaining and enthusiastic! I'm SO very grateful to his two wonderful coaches, his teammates, and the parents I meet.

A new parent I met last night was gracious to ask questions and have interest in our experience. Hard to be "in" the world of autism and remember that not everyone has much experience with it. I love that she reached out and asked.

30 Days of Autism: Day 13 ...behavior...we're all guilty of making judgments on children and their behavior and even on their parents if we see them acting out in public. Be aware that if a parent is trying to do something with a child who is melting down in public, pause a minute, postpone judgment, and reflect on whether that child and parent are facing challenges you do not understand. Consider that the child may have autism...the behaviors you may be witnessing are not due to misbehavior or lack of parenting; they are simply symptoms of autism. I can guarantee you, the parent is very aware and is doing his/her best to help that child cope.

30 Days of Autism: Day 14: dealing with autism day in and day out can suck...but sometimes we get too wrapped up in all of it...unfortunately, yesterday I was brutally reminded of what's really important. Matt suffered a major injury skiing; luckily he will be okay...love, family, physical health...these all supercede autism!

30 Days of Autism: Day 15: Early diagnosis & intervention are very important for our children so that therapies can be utilized to minimize symptoms and maximize acquisition of skills. Problem is some states don't cover autism treatments & therapies. Yea! MI finally becomes an "autism-friendly" state this month :)

30 Days of Autism: Day 16...

30 Days of Autism: Day 17: Matt's suggestion....living with autism means sometimes major issues can spring from a minuscule event. Simply using the "wrong" word, going upstairs "wrong"," doing something out of sequence, or stubbing a toe can turn his mood on a dime and unfortunately turn a simple task into a lengthy battle and/or meltdown...definitely a lesson in patience.

‎30 Days of Autism...continued...Day 18:

One of my favorite quotes lately...
“Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The trouble-makers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules and they have no respect for the status-quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify, or vilify them. But the only thing you can’t do is ignore  them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.” — Apple

I wonder who "on the autistic spectrum" this might refer to...it's speculated that the following individuals may have asperger's or autism...

Satoshi Tajiri, creator and designer of Pokemon

Dan Aykroyd, comedian and actor

Abraham Lincoln, US Politician

Albert Einstein, German/American theoretical physicist

Alexander Graham Bell, Scottish/Canadian/American inventor of the telephone

Benjamin Franklin, US polictician/writer

Bobby Fischer, World Chess Champion

Vincent Van Gogh, Dutch painter

Jim Henson, creator of the Muppets, US puppeteer, writer, producer, director, composer

Bill Gates, Entrepreneur and philanthropist. A key player in the personal computer revolution.

John Nash, US mathematician (portrayed by Russell Crowe in A Beautiful Mind, USA 2001)

‎30 days of autism: day 19: 
years on the journey = 7.5
Medical specialists = 10+
$ spent on private therapy = 1000s
seizures = 1.5 years
IEPs = 6
Having Weston read & act out his Mother's Day poem which included hugs & kisses = priceless!

30 Days of Autism: Day 20: 
IEP = Individualized Education Plan
Better known in our home as INCREDIBLY EXHAUSTING PROCESS!
All parents of kiddos with special needs, not just autism, must endure this annually...wishing it was easier & less stressful for all involved!

30 Days of Autism...the first 10

Lighting him up BLUE today! 

To support April is Autism Awareness Month, I'm doing "30 Days of Autism" on my Facebook page and thought I'd share it here too.


30 Days of Autism: Day 1: Tomorrow is World Autism Awareness Day! Monuments and buildings around the world will "Light it up Blue"...Did you know that Michigan's Mackinaw Bridge will be among them? http://www.lightitupblue.org/






30 Days of Autism...Day 2: Autism now affects 1 in 88 children (1 in 54 boys)! As you can see...W is just like everyone else...only different :)

He plays soccer with his cousin and some other awesome friends and is coached by 2 amazing people! He loves his sports!


30 Days of Autism: Day 3: Last fall I started a blog...it's VERY cathartic for me. It helps me to find the humor and the hope! Today I'm taking it public...hopefully it can also help others in the same situation or at least give others a glimpse into life on this journey. Follow or Lurk if you like athttp://findingweston.blogspot.com/

Parenting a child with autism (or special needs or chronic health issues in general) is stressful to say the least. Researchers have even compared the stress of moms with children who have autism and found it to be similar to the stress of combat soldiers. Sometimes it's just good to know you're not alone.


30 Days of Autism: Day 4 -- elopement (no, not a Vegas vacation that ended differently than you expected) -- it's a problem for approximately 50% of people with autism. They wander for a variety of reasons and this causes a host of concerns.

Because W is one of this 50%, we visited the local Sheriff's dept today. The deputy was great--he instructed W to stay in the yard & not to talk to strangers. He explained that police are there to help him and will help him find us. We provided a photo and profile on W explaining how he might react in an emergency situation, etc. Thanks to my behavior consultant for suggesting this!

To top it off, W got to sit in the police truck and sound the sirens!


30 Days of Autism: Day 5:






30 Days of Autism: Day 6: Looking for a good read this Spring Break? Check out "House Rules" by Jodi Piccoult. This is a fiction murder mystery which centers around a young man with autism who gets caught in the middle. Although it's fiction, Ms. Piccoult certainly did her homework--this is a glimpse into how autism can impact an individual and his family...it definitely got me thinking of what might be to come...


30 Days of Autism: Day 7: Many individuals with autism are challenged by sensory processing disorder, and W is one of them.

Author Ellen Notbohm explains...
“Picture yourself on the world’s grooviest roller coaster….How long could you do your day job while on the Cyclone or the Millenium Force? Could you teach class, write a report, clean the house while enduring the vertigo, the screams of fellow riders, the g-force of the rushing air, the unexpected drops and abrupt changes of direction, the sensation of hair in your mouth and bugs in your teeth? It might be fun as an occasional thrill, but you are ready to get off after the 3-minute ride. For many children with sensory processing disorder, there is no exit gate; it’s a 24/7 affair, and it’s the very antithesis of thrilling.”


30 Days of Autism: Day 8: From the Autism Science Foundation, "What is Autism?"

"Autism Spectrum Disorders are characterized by significant impairments in social interaction and communication skills, as well as by the presence of extremely challenging behaviors. Such behaviors include repetitive motor behaviors (hand flapping, body rocking), insistence on sameness, resistance to change and, in some cases, aggression or self-injury."


30 Days of Autism: Day 9: Unusual interests are another typical "symptom" of autism. We just returned from an overnight road trip...W's favorite parts--stop signs, traffic lights, and of course the ELEVATOR at the hotel! 

Some call these interests, Distractions; the key is to see them as Fascinations and use them for motivation and opportunities for learning. For all my teacher friends, a good resource book for this is "Just Give Him the Whale" by Paula Kluth.


30 Days of Autsim: Day 10: Autism is definitely a controversial subject...from causes, to how to diagnose; from symptoms, to treatments. It's easy to feel lost among what seems like countless parents, medical specialists, special education staff, and other professionals who all disagree...but it's the kids who lose in the end...does it really matter who's "more right"? Could this increase in the population of Autism be a combination of factors that manifests itself in different ways in different kiddos and requires a combination of treatments? Why can't medical doctors buy into some of the bio-chemical theory and treat the "whole" child and why can't educators use evidence-based behavior therapy for academic skill acquisition as one might use for self-help development?