autism.
a word i can't imagine being part of my everyday life.
a word that brings saddness and fear in the very same breath.
for reasons i don't understand and can't explain... i am captivated with learning more about this complex disability.
there are lots of different controversies surrounding causes, treatments, etc of autism. it seems many of them can be overwhelming, confusing, and downright frustrating for the families affected.
my goal is to simply bring awareness.
please take a second of your time and watch this. the photographs of those children will touch your heart and grab your soul. atleast it did mine.
knowledge, may one day lead to a cure. i pray.
8 comments:
thanks for sharing jenny. it seems the more i talk about autism, i find that almost everyone knows some child somewhere that has been affected by it.
and yes as the video stated, the most heartbreaking TRUTH is that children often develop normally into the second year of life... then autism strikes.
Tara i wasn't able to watch this at work today because we have no audio. so i waited until i got home.
So sad and scary. will put this on my prayer list. love, mom
My cousins third child is autistic. Thanks for sharing the video.
I just love your blog! I found it off of Chris "Sweet Tooth" blog. I work in a children's hospital and have worked with many autistic children. Autism is such a complex disability. There are so many different forms of autism. THe children I have interacted are some of the interesting kids!!!
Thanks for the post Tara. I wish we could find a cure.
Hope you had a nice Easter.
Thank you for posting this! Cheers
My daughter has a disibility it is not autism,but Down Syndrome.I thought my youngest daughter was autistic and had her tested,alas no she wasn't. Otherwise just dropping in to say hi!
Tara -
Thanks for this post - I wish everyone could understand how challenging it is to deal with an autistic child. My younger son, Sean, was originally diagnosed with ADHD, but none of the med's or the behavioral "tricks" worked -he had problems in school (academically he has always done well, which is astounding considering that he actually fully paid attention only 80% of the day), had problems making friends, making eye contact, and generally being social. When we moved, we were in a new school district, and his team (teachers, social worker, psychologist) asked us to get him tested for Aspergers Syndrome, something I had never heard of. It is a high-functioning form of autism. His personal psychiatrist was skeptical at first, but once she heard all of our stories, she decided to change his meds and see where that took us. He still isn't 100% "normal", but this diagnosis seems to be closer. He still is considered ADHD also. He still has the symptoms, but we're learning to deal with them, and he is learning to live with them, something he will have to do for the rest of his life. We deal with sleep problems, constant talking, impulsivness, and a general disconnect from the world around him most of the time. But somehow, through all of this, he does well in school, even makes honor roll sometimes.This year he's been moved from his Aspergers class - a special class set up just for kids with Aspergers diagnosis, to being mainstreamed for the full day. And he is the sweetest, most interesting kid you could meet, if you take the time to listen to what he has to say. He amazes his teachers with the depth of his knowledge on some topics. ANd the Aspergers meds, unlike the ADHD meds, do not affect his personality at all. I've been told by some well-meaning people that he shouldn't be medicated, that there are other ways to handle his issues. But I've seen too much of an improvement to make him suffer without them.
Sorry I went on so long, but I just needed to comment - these children are all so special, and they need all the support and love they can get, even if they don't seem to know that you are there for them.
Again, then you for a very important post!
Dottie (Shannon's sis-in-law)
Post a Comment