What can we do as individuals to show our support, involvement, or just basic understanding of Autism? Some of us parents are so wrapped up in our lives which are so effected by Autism, we never stop to think that we are walking PSA’s. Yet we do not take this opportunity.

The internet is a wonderful place to spread the word. Some of us have many friends on social networks such as Myspace or Twitter. Have you thought about finding a graphic depicting Autism to promote awareness. You could post a blog about the life you live and describe your child. Many times even our own families do not truly understand what is going on in our lives, and how different it is because of Autism. If you find an interesting video or story about Autism, post the link. Help educate those around you.

Another great way to promote  Autism is by wearing it. CafePress and Zazzle have some wonderful Autism designed products that you can order. You can also create our own designs and using printable transfer paper you can create t-shirts, tote bages, pretty much any fabric based item you wish to promote Autism.

The month is nearly over, and not one Autism Awareness commercial has been seen. Though often radio stations have blurbs about the statistics of Autism, something visual can get the message across in a deeper way than a radio spot that often only reaches people while they are driving across town. Autism statistics are tragedly high and sadly so are the rates of people who are uneducated or believing stereotypes about Autism.

It is the responsibility of us to promote Autism, for nobody can speak out about it better than the parents whose lives have been drastically changed by this spectrum disorder.

Rules and Guidelines

• Submissions are to be emailed to singlemotherofautism@yahoo.com
• Submissions are to be sent in an attachment.
• Submissions must consist of a clear photograph or scanned copy of the artwork.
• Artwork completed by minors or persons with Autism that are dependent are to be submitted by a guardian or parent.
• All artwork reflecting Autism must either clearly portray Autism or have an explanation included that describes why the piece was inspired by Autism.
• Artwork completed by a person on the Autism Spectrum may be of any subject with the exception of depiction of sexual discriminatory or violent situations.
• Information to be included with each submission must include a first name and general location. Basic descriptions are optional. For artwork completed by minors, or by those with Autism the addition of an age is optional but preferred.

This is truly a wonderful quote, one of which should be embraced by our educational system. So many young children, both those with and without special educational needs, are falling through the cracks.

In today’s age of Autism, many parents are finding thousands of resources available online, and in print. Some people however look for ways that work for somebody else and try to mirror those plans of action. For an example, one might read the well-known book by Jenny McCarthy and only end up disappointed when those methods do not appear to work on their own child.

The truth is that every child is different. Though “typical” children tend to learn in similar ways, Autistic children do not always. Though there are similarities between what works for some children, the fact remains that Autism is a spectrum disorder. A wide spectrum of levels your child can be placed at also relates to a wide spectrum of possibilities of therapies and educational services that may (and may not) work for your child.

It is important to find a teacher who is willing to bend a little around your child to find what will work for them as individuals rather than what “works for most/other autistic children” Sometimes resources make this difficult, but it is important to do everything within your means to ensure your child has not only a pleasant experience in school, but it provides the best education possible for them.

Remember, the school is not the only one to blame for students slipping through the cracks. Parents must stand up for what they know is right. If you know nothing about Special Education, you can always educate yourself. This is your child’s entire future, and it starts with school. To give our Special children as many opportunities possible, we must sometimes demand them.

There will be times in which a young child will not be able to be safely confined to a shopping cart. Trips to the Zoo, going for a walk, malls, ect. For the toddler, or a small built child, a backpack harness may be an easy way to allow your child to walk beside you. The sturdy backpack straps fit over the shoulders and strap across the chest and stomach. Generally these are shaped into a cute animal, with a pocket the child can place personal items inside. A leash attaches to the backpack, often to be the “tail” of the animal. This enables your child to walk freely beside you, giving them proper room to explore their environment around them, but also teaching them boundaries. The pull of the leash in your hand alerts you when they may be wondering too far. The leash can also be removed for times you feel you may trust your child. The downfall to these harnesses is that a child generally outgrows them by the age 5. Another thing to consider is that often you must have a tough skin. Strangers often like to make comments about you placing a leash on your child like a dog. Especially if your child likes to occasionally pretend to be a dog and crawl along leading you with the leash. Often though other parents may corner you for details on where you purchased the back pack and questions about if it works well for your child. These backpack harnesses can be found generally at department stores, as well as online. Harness Backpack on Amazon.

Child Locating devices are gaining popularity. Duracell and Brickhouse have come together in a commercial which can currently be seen on television. This child locator device features a GPS function that will actually help lead you to your child. Arrows light up pointing the direction to the other piece, which would be placed on or with your child. Other features include an alert when your child may be wandering too away from you, and a panic button the child may press if they find themselves lost or scared. This device is wonderful for environments like the park. While you want to teach your Autistic child some independence and allow them to interact socially with other children, you still worry that they may see something interesting such as a puppy or children playing further away and run off. The major downfall to the Brickhouse Child Locator is the price of nearly $200. For parents battling medical and therapy bills, and those who are unable to work, often there is a price too steep for the welfare of their children. For those able to afford a device like this, it is recommended over all other locators. Brickhouse Child Locator on Amazon.

A cheaper version of a child locator with the ability to visually lead you to your child is made by Levana. Cost for one of these locators ranges from $50-90 dollars. This device consists of a wrist piece that is much like a watch. The parent piece is a small hand held remote-like device that features LED lights which would blink and point you in the direction of the child. The rate of blinking lights and beeps are faster according to the amount of distance between you and the child. Like the Brickhouse locator, the Levana can alert you to when your child may be wandering too far, as well as a panic button he or she may press. A perk to this system is that the watch portion is rechargeable rather than taking traditional batteries which needs replaced. Levana Child Locator on Amazon.

There are alternatives to the locators, lacking GPS features, at lower costs, often able to be purchased for under $20. These are simple two part devices that allow the parent to press a button and from the child’s attachment a loud beep is emitted, allowing you to hear and locate your child up to about 150 feet. The piece that fits on the child can vary from a little plastic teddy bear or a little bug that can clip onto a shoe, belt loop, or backpack. The adult remote generally fits on a key-chain. One disadvantage to this design is that a loud beep could frighten a young child, or one sensitive to sensory input such as sudden loud auditory input. Teddy Bear Child Locator.

Vaccinations are the most common thing to blame, and the most publicized of possible causes. However there has been no firm evidence to prove this case. It also does not explain why children whom were not vaccinated are also being diagnosed.

Like many diseases genetics are thought to play a large role in Autism. The first studies of possible genetic links to Autism started in the 1970’s. Research noted that twins born to an Autistic parent had a higher chance of also being diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder. It also went on to state slight increases of diagnoses amongst siblings with at least one Autistic child.

Though the small percentages in these studies made it impossible to conclude anything concrete about the ties to genetic causes of Autism, it was the beginning of many more genetic studies to come.

Fragile X Syndrome is a classification to a variation of genetic disorders that can affect families in different ways. The most common result is the variety of mental impairments through out a family with this genetic mutation. Though only accounting for a small percentage of Autism diagnoses, Fragile X Syndrome is the most common stated genetic cause of Autism. Between 2 and 6% of children diagnosed with Autism are found to have Fragile X mutations. A third of children diagnosed with Fragile X Syndrome are also diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder.

In 2008 scientists released that 1 percent of Autistic people shared another common genetic factor. In these cases the Chromosome 16 were mutated slightly. This finding will hopefully make genetic testing available for parents who wish to plan their families around the possibility of bringing a special needs child into the world. Parents of an Autistic child could be tested, and Chromosome 16 would be studied and if it contains possible mutations, a couple can opt to not have another child.

February 2009 an article was published explaining another genetic finding connecting genetic mutations to Autism. Brain size differences have been noted between those with Autism, and persons of “typical” health. Two genes which affect brain size and social behavior have been studied in mice. It was discovered that female mice with mutations in the PTEN and the serotonin transporter gene had similar behaviors as those with Autism. Brain size and social behaviors were studied and found comparable to studies on children.  

Though the findings of research cases such as these only cover a small percentage of children diagnosed with Autism, it is a credible advancement in unlocking some of the mysteries that is Autism. Since Autism covers such a large spectrum of severity, it is nearly impossible to determine the true causes, and it can be concluded that there is no one definite cause to Autism. However, with each advancement, we come a slight step closer in learning how to prevent Autism Spectrum Disorders.

I have been very sick the last several days, resulting in a loss of my voice. This does indeed make simple things very difficult. I try to say something and am lucky if half of the words come out understandable. In the end to communicate with my son I stand there trying to pantomime what I feel needs to be said, only to have him stand there with a glassy look in his eyes.

Living my whole life with typical communication skills, this is an experience that opens up my mind to what our children must endure every day when they so desperately want us to know something, and cannot make us understand. Before I could only relate to the frustration of not being able to understand Michael’s wants and needs. Now our roles have been reversed, and I have realized just how much patience is required when working with a child with low communication skills.

It also makes me appreciate how far my son has come verbally in the last year. For only a year ago he was considered non-verbal, and now most of those misunderstandings have faded away as he has learned to vocalize his thoughts.

First I would like to share a site I have come across.  Though I cannot put a definite title to the website, I gather we can refer it as Autism Poetry and Writing. This page consists of poems written by both parents, caregivers, and by a few Autistic persons as well. I encourage you to go and read through several of the poems. If you have a verse you have written, I further encourage you to submit the poem for others to find. If you are concerned about theft of your work, I suggest first submitting it to a site such as Helium.com in which it shall be dated and copyrighted. Then if you submit it elsewhere and somebody else tries to lay claim to it, you have the proof of ownership.

Autism Poetry and Writing

I thought I would also share two small pieces I have written. These are two pieces I have written in lesser emotion, and feel more comfortable sharing them, though perhaps in the future I shall add some of my more emotive work.

Currently Untitled

I knew nothing of motherhood
I had to learn as I went,
Yet things happened
I knew were not quite right,
My little angel was changing,
His speech disappearing,
His emotions cluttered and confused,
Slowly I lost him to his own mind
Desperate I clinged to what was left,
Each day now is an obstacle
And a lesson learned,
How I wish my son could
Look up at me and say his love,
Each night I tuck him in
And promise my love will never end,
I pause before I close the door
Hoping to hear his tiny voice
Say, I love you too

Perfect Child

Do not ever let them say
You are less than perfect,
For in your mother’s eyes
You are wonderful in every way,
Every milestone we pass
And every obstacle defeated
All is another reason for celebration,
We shall experience the world
in ways the normal could never imagine,
Let us snatch every opportunity
And cherish every moment

It was not until this last fall that Michael really began to associate that his name is Michael. Sometimes he would respond to it, though he could never tell us what his name was. He knew Ma, Grandma, even Daddy (though his father is absent from his life) but he would get a confused look in his eyes when a person would ask him what his name is.

Preschool was a miracle for my child. It is what crossed him from the non-verbal status into the verbal definitions. Immediately last year when he started halfway into the year at age three, I saw changes in him. He would try new words. Now a year later, he is speaking in partial sentences, and able to get his point across. And a year later, my son knows his own name. He can point himself out in pictures. Thinks any word starting with the letter M says Michael.

And just this morning while walking down the stairs to wait for the bus, I told him “go Ba” and he flipped out on me. He loudly announced “Me Michael, I Michael” I suppose after four in a half years of having my son respond to Ba, the era of nicknames is over. I cannot call him Baby, Ba, or even the popular Turd Monkey I used to call him. He wants to be called by his name, and only his name. This will take some getting used to, but in a way it is just an obstacle for me to overcome, rather than one set in front of my son.

So much has changed in my son, sometimes it is hard to imagine him a year ago. I refuse to take credit, his teachers, therapists, and of course the wonderful little girl Susy have encouraged my son to come so far.

How do your children respond with nicknames? Do they prefer their given name, or the nickname?

That is when I came up with the idea of maybe making a list of all the wonderful things about Autism. With my son only being four, and on a different functioning level than many others, I do need help making a wonderful list. I would like to have it from a parents point of view. Then I would take the best of those and make a cute design.

I also want to post the list here on my pages. Only I would include all the comments I get, not only the best choices.

So my assignment is for you to not only answer, what is your favorite thing about Autism, but to get any other parent you know to comment. The longer the list the better.

All I ask is that you keep your answers in the form of a sentence. EX. My child can sit and paint for hours. Feel free to list several! The more the better.

I personally hate cleaning. I have a nasty habit of letting my house get in a horrible state of disorganization then am scrambling to pick up before a home meeting or for company… But I tire of trying to do things that will not make a mess. And I know Michael needs more activities that I just let him go wild with, and not worry about the mess….

So my personal goal is to mak a mess today. Yes it will only add more to my weekend cleaning list, but I think the experience will be worth it. Perhaps Michael and I will make cookies, or mini pizzas.

What messy activities does your child enjoy?