April - Autism Awareness Month

April is Autism Awareness month and it is very important to me and I would like to share my story with you. I have a 5 yr old son, Christopher who is Autistic. He has AS (Aspergers Syndrome)

Asperger's Syndrome is a neurological disorder that, like others on the spectrum, is marked by difficulties in communication and social interaction. The set of characteristics easily identified with the condition was first identified by Austrian pediatrician Hans Asperger. Children with Asperger's Syndrome find it difficult to identify and express their feelings, just like those with classic autism. They find it challenging, even impossible, to connect with others, often don't hold eye contact and have trouble reading other people's faces and gestures. Many kids flap their hands, a behavior often associated with classic autism; speak without much emotion (or have otherwise unusual speech patterns); need to follow schedules rigidly or else the world feels out of control, and are intensely, even obsessively, interested in one specific subject, so much that they become veritable experts in that field. They also exhibit sensitivities to various stimuli, from sounds to clothing to food items.


He is a darling boy and just a joy to have around. But it has been a long road for us. At 10 months old, I noticed some of his behaviors were out of the ordinary, I didnt have that much experience, he was my second child. But I did take some psychology classes in college and some things he was doing reminded me of OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder). I kinda brushed it off and thought hey my son is SO smart. Well, things progressed and got worse. After several trips to the pediatrician and visits to the childrens hospital I finally got a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum. Later, it was narrowed down to Aspergers. Now with aspergers, the child does not have speech problems, instead it is almost the opposite. In Christophers kindergarten class the majority of the students were at an average of 20% of where they need to be for the end of the year... at that time, Christopher was at 70%. WOW...woo hoo... I know. But it kind of hurt him. He has major social problems and is unable to participate in group activities. Among other things...anyway, the school wouldnt help me because they said "his disability does not interfere with his ability to learn"... well of course not, he has no academic problems... just social. After lots of meetings and constant fighting with school, I finally was given a 504. I wanted and IEP but they wouldnt give it to me. A 504 is basically a educational plan that allows for some of his behaviors to be accepted due to his autism. Christopher takes the special ed bus to and from school. He is in regular ed right now but if he has a meltdown or a situation he is able to go into the special ed room and hang out there until he is calmed. There is SO much to say and I just dont have the words to express how important being aware of this disability is. I believe the teachers need to be more educated on the matter in order to help our children. These kids go through so much and the prevalence of autism had risen to 1 in every 150 American children, and almost 1 in 94 boys.

Know the Signs: Early Identification Can Change Lives
Autism is treatable. Children do not "outgrow" autism, but studies show that early diagnosis and intervention lead to significantly improved outcomes.

Here are some signs to look for in the children in your life:
-Lack of or delay in spoken language
-Repetitive use of language and/or motor mannerisms e.g.,handflapping,wirling objects)
-Little or no eye contact
-Lack of interest in peer relationships
-Lack of spontaneous or make-believe play
-Persistent fixation on parts of objects

Autism Speaks
Learning Tools
PECS
Picture Recipes

Christopher


Please visit this website for a free kit!!
Tammy Albright of the digi scrap community has a granddaughter with autism. She has managed to get several designers together to make one big huge beautiful kit. It is yours free with a small donation to the walk for autism. Remember you are not buying the kit but donating money to help a child in need :)
Scrap For Autism