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April is...

- A blog about special needs parenting & advocacy

In case you didn't know, April is autism awareness month. As a mother of two children with autism, I'd like to encourage you to take a few minutes and learn about this disorder. It may not be what you think. And, being a spectrum disorder, it's not the same from one affected person to the next.

The main thing I want you to take away from this is that individuals with autism are often very productive members of society, but they interpret their world differently and have special needs. And so do their families. 

For information, visit Autistic Self Advocacy Network & Autism_Society.org

And here's a great blog post I found:  
Autism awareness is not enough: Here's how to change the world
"Put fences around parks, or at least part of the park. It’s not that I am too lazy to keep an eye on my son, but really, if I mess up for even a minute, he could end up as a hood ornament."
(I can SO relate to that!)

You might also enjoy reading books like Thinking In Pictures by Temple Grandin, an author who has autism.


Comments

  1. I think this is something that people need to be really aware of. I read a post today from a Father who just wished he could tell people around him that his twins aren't being naughty, they're just seeing the world differently.

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    1. Thank you for this, Sarah. Yes! With kids like these (and not just those with autism), you have to look at the root of what's driving their behavior. Often, it's not what you think. 'Badly-behaved' children doesn't necessarily equal poor parenting. The child brings something to the equation, too.

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  2. Thanks for writing about this Melissa. More need to be aware of autism and Asperger's. I just Tweeted your blog segment.

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  3. Great post, Melissa! I tried to use one of their World Autism Awareness Day logos, but the link didn't work. Bummer. :(

    Oh well. There's still plenty of information to go around. Thanks for sharing! :)

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    1. Thanks for visiting. Sorry you couldn't get the logo to work.

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  4. I'm so glad you're helping to spread awareness. Autism is so misunderstood and I hope the month of April will really help more people become aware of how autism effects both children and adults. Some of my favorite students over the years have been autistic or have Aspergers - they are amazing individuals because they see the world so differently. :-)

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