Thursday, April 18, 2013

What Autism Has Taught Me

     I would always look at my life and complain about the little things. I would always think my life wasn't what it was suppose to be. Now that I have grown up and became a mom I see my life as it was shaped to be. I thought I had a rough life until I had my children. I had my first born and he was diagnosed with ADD/LD and my last born diagnosed with Autism. Watching my children learn and grow, always with a smile on their face and not a worry in the world.
     That's when I realized my life wasn't so bad after all. I see the struggles they face everyday and yet they are always happy and smiling. They have taught me to enjoy life and never take anything for granted. Life can be complicated but it shouldn't bring you down. There are obstacles but we all can overcome them. There are many people who face difficulties in their life but my children go through a lot and they never let it bring them down. I realized they live their life with joy. I have learned to see the world through their eyes and its wonderful. My kids don't complain about anything and that's how we all should be. We need to just enjoy life and embrace what is already in front us and let go of the past. This is a new beginning for my family and our future looks bright.

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

10 Misconceptions About Autism

          As a parent of a child with autism we face difficulties everyday. We make the best out of every moment and everyday. We do our best but need autism awareness and acceptance. In order to ensure acceptance we need understanding about autism. Here are 10 misconceptions people think about autism.
1. Children will outgrow the diagnosis of Autism.
2. Parents of a child with autism have "bad parenting" skills.
3. All children with Autism are the same.
4. A childs behavior is controllable.
5. Children with autism can learn like all other non disabled children.
6. There is nothing wrong with the child, they just need to be disciplined.
7. Parents of children with autism want sympathy.
8. God wouldn't give you a child with autism if he knew you couldn't handle it.
9. We need to teach our kids how to play well with other kids.
10. We need to teach our kids to share with other kids.

Here are 10 conceptions from an autism parent about other parents.

1. Why don't you ask me questions about my childs behavior? ( you will learn valuable information).
2. Why does your child misbehave?
3. Why don't you discipline your child better?
4. How do you feel when people stare at your child misbehaving?
5. Why is your child mean to other children?
6. Why can't you control your child?
7. Why do parents assume our children are misbehaving and when your child is misbehaving its ok?
8. What can autism parents do to get more awareness and understanding?
9. Why cant my child with autism play with your child who doesn't have autism?
10. Why do parents have to be so mean towards autism parents?

 You see when you assume you don't get the whole picture. In order to understand and accept children with autism you have to be open about the situation and ask questions. A child shouldn't be labeled as a "bad child" because you don't know the situation. Less criticism and more Awareness, Acceptance and Understanding.

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Raising Autism Awareness: Struggles And Accomplishments

     In order to raise Autism Awareness I need to help people understand the everyday difficulties as well as the greatest accomplishments. When people hear Autism they immediately think its a bad thing. They always make nonsense comments like" Oh but they don't look like they have autism." Or they say "he/she will out grow it." So with that always being said I thought  the right thing to do was to write a blog about what it is like to raise an autistic child so people can see its not a life sentence and that every child deserves understanding and acceptance.
      When my daughter started Early Intervention at 27 months she was so behind her age level it was going to take a lot of intervention. She didn't know how to point, she was nonverbal and didn't understand any verbal commands. Its very difficult on a parent when they want their child to learn but they struggle. Most autistic kids cant do the same things like every other kid. There are sensory issues for a child with autism so that means most kids cant go places where there are loud noises or flashing lights. A day out for an autistic child is not just grab the coat and go. It has to be planned and we have to make sure we have snacks, and toys that comfort them to try to prevent a meltdown.
     There are days of happiness, and joy. For us autistic parents the littlest accomplishments are ALWAYS the biggest accomplishments. We all are thrilled to see our kids progress and its the greatest feeling in the world. When we see our child point to something they want we are overwhelmed with happiness. When we see our child trying to be social with other kids we are  overwhelmed with happiness. Our children are different yes, but never less. Our children can learn and will be a success it just might take them a little longer to understand.
  So this blog is to let people know that an autistic child or any child with a disability are special, intelligent, beautiful, unique, awesome and most of all loving. In order to understand, questions have to be asked instead of assuming. I'm sure I am not the only parent who wouldn't be happy to have someone ask me questions about autism. The more questions and understanding of autism will help us raise awareness.