It's hard to believe it's been almost four year since autism entered my life. And like an unexpected dinner guest that at first is fascinating and charming - but after a while grates on your nerves - it shows no sign of leaving. Ever.
So I've tried my best to get acquainted and be a gracious hostess...er...mom. Raising my son is still a largely mystifying experience, but there are some takeaways I've learned along the way:
It's that time again. April has reared its head, and I'm wondering what to say about autism that hasn't already been said. What could I possibly bring to the table, as a parent, that will make the unaware more aware?
Then I realize I don't have to say anything at all. A 13 year-old girl has summed up what you need to know about autism more eloquently and succinctly than people more than double her age.
Plus, who better to ask about autism than someone who is actually autistic?
Michael McCreary has always been funny - both funny peculiar and funny ha-ha.
The 19 year-old from Orangeville, Ontario makes no secret that he was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome, a form of autism, at the tender age of five. In fact, he has launched a comedy career poking fun of his quirks, his constant need for attention, and - his words - his inability to shut up.
Kodette LaBarbara is not your average hockey wife. Though she happens to be married to NHL superstar Jason LaBarbara, she is a mom first and foremost, and is already sacrificing greatly for the sake of her children.
After their son Ryder was diagnosed with autism at three years-old, the couple made the difficult decision to part ways for the hockey season. While Jason plays for the Anaheim Ducks in California, Kodette flies solo in Calgary. Like many kids with autism, Ryder struggles with change and transitions.
I feel for Suzanne and Bob Wright, the heads of Autism Speaks. I really do. Like so many of us, this thing called autism came along and blindsided their family. But unlike many of us, it seems they've chosen to view their grandson's diagnosis as nothing short of a curse.
Have you seen the latest superhero to join the ranks of comic book greats? Sure, like all superheroes, he has extraordinary powers, such as a "mathematical mind, artistic gift and an abundance of compassion." And like all superheroes, saving the world from heinous villains is all in a day's work.
We are lucky to live in an age of increasing autism awareness. Still, in spite of all the awareness—and a cornucopia of books on ASD—there are very few kids books out there that focus on teaching the child to appreciate and value himself.
While it's obviously crucial to educate family and friends about autism, to my mind, it's equally (if not more) important to foster self-esteem in the child with the disorder.
Autism is growing, and with this latest spike reported in the U.S. (30 percent in just two years), nobody can keep up. All the time and money being invested in finding a cure is creating a vacuum of lost children, most of them boys. What happens to these kids once they get handed their piece of paper? Let me tell you what happened to us. Lots of phone calls with various coordinators, informing us of services we could apply for. Then nothing.
