World Autism Awareness Day

[marguerite_26]

What is Autism?

Having a child with autism means your life is never your own ever again. And I wouldn't change it for the world. I'm proud of my son, of who he is, of who he is becoming. I want him to have the tools to deal with being autistic but never take away what it is that makes him wonderfully unique: his sense of humour, his joie de vivre, his fascinating way of looking at the world.

Did you know: An estimated 1 out of 54 boys and 1 in 252 girls are diagnosed with autism in the United States. (The numbers are very similar in Canada, though no recent Canadian stats are available)

24 facts about Autism

Comments

[mijeli.livejournal.com]

♥

[marguerite-26.livejournal.com]

♥!

[lemniciate.livejournal.com]

I was literally just in the middle of my post about this! Do you mind if I link to the 24 facts about Autism page? I just had a look at it, and it's brilliant for starter facts.

[marguerite-26.livejournal.com]

yes, of course. Link to anything you see here. :D

As well, I'm checking out the #WAAD hashtag on twitter (https://twitter.com/#!/search/%23WAAD) and there are a ton of great articles found there.

[shes-gone.livejournal.com]

<3

[marguerite-26.livejournal.com]

<3!

[lordhellebore]

<3

I wish this were all common knowledge; so much just goes unnoticed because most people have no idea.

[marguerite-26.livejournal.com]

It's amazing how little people know, considering the staggering number of kids being diagnosed every day. I hope slowly that is changing.

[lordhellebore]

I hope for a new generatio of medical profssionals. Every time I mention Asperger's, my psychotherapist just goes blank and changes the subject *sigh* And it's astounding how many paediatritians have no idea when they of all people should know to be able to give the families proper referrals to the specialists.

And more awareness among parents as well - especially when people are mild Aspiers/very high functioning, parents often don't realise at all that there is the need to do somehting.

[marguerite-26.livejournal.com]

Oh, I totally agree. As much as the general public fail to understand the spectrum, doctor's lack of understanding and support is infuriating. I'm sorry to hear a psychotherapist would go blank!!! grrr!!!

Here, we have the same issues, honestly. Pediatricians give a diagnosis and then send the mother off to face the world with this new label and NOTHING ELSE. We recently formed a support group that meets weekly and it's amazing how much mom teaching other mom's is a million times more informative then being told by your doctor 'well, he's autistic, of course he is acting that way. he will act that way his entire life.'

Instead, we each come away from our group with actual strategies to deal and (sometimes more importantly) moral support. Advice that actually helps and improves our lives and the lives of our kids.

/rant.

[lordhellebore]

The general public. "So, are you/is s/he like Rainman?" -_-

'well, he's autistic, of course he is acting that way. he will act that way his entire life.'

Ugh. God forbid one wants to help the kid cope with the world and help for oneself to cope with the kid. Doctors can be pretty useless (although there's the good ones too). That's part of what makes me kind of scared to try and get a diagnosis for myself.

It's so great you're doing something to help yourself and others and it reminds me of my parents who, as long as my sister was still going to school, were activists for proper schooling for mentally disabled kids in our town.

And you can rant at me anytime ;) I'm pretty partial to the "people can be so useless"-way of seeing the rest of humanity.

[delosharriman]

Oddly, perhaps, when I was diagnosed with Asperger's (at about the age of 15), my mother became a great deal happier as soon as she had that label.
I'm not sure if it was because she no longer felt she had to blame herself for being a bad parent, or because she stopped thinking that I was being that way just to spite her, or what. But a great deal of the bitterness & distance which she previously had (even someone with the emotional range of a teaspoon gets the message when his mother says "you're my son, so I have to love you, but I don't like you very much") went away.

[paragraphs.livejournal.com]

Thanks for this Maggie...I learned some things I didn't know.

[marguerite-26.livejournal.com]

:) I'm very happy to hear that. ♥

[fuzzytomato02.livejournal.com]

Thank you for posting this. Our sons are special guys. :D

[marguerite-26.livejournal.com]

They are. *hugs*

[rickey-a.livejournal.com]

:)

I was about to go write up my blog/editorial for WAAD today. Nice to see you spreading the awareness :)

*hugs*

[marguerite-26.livejournal.com]

*squish*

looking forward to your post.

I've read a lot of really great articles today. Lovely to hear so many people talking.

[clawdine]

♥♥♥

[marguerite-26.livejournal.com]

:D

♥!

[snegurochka_lee]

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

[marguerite-26.livejournal.com]

right back atcha.

[hogwartsvixxxen.livejournal.com]

Thanks for posting this. I reposted.

[marguerite-26.livejournal.com]

<3

[hogwartsvixxxen.livejournal.com]

♥ to both you and your son

[leashy-bebes.livejournal.com]

*squishes*

♥

[marguerite-26.livejournal.com]

*snuggles*

[ginger-veela.livejournal.com]

So much love to you and your sweet boy.

[marguerite-26.livejournal.com]

:D

<3

[alafaye]

Thanks for sharing!

[marguerite-26.livejournal.com]

♥

[secretlypadfoot.livejournal.com]

*hugs you for being so awesome* Thank you for sharing this, it's really lovely. My nephew was actually just diagnosed as autistic a couple months a go. I love that boy dearly. One of my very best friends is also autistic, but she's a wonderful person.

Again, thank you for sharing. <3

[marguerite-26.livejournal.com]

Getting a diagnoses whether you are expecting one or not is pretty overwhelming. All my best thoughts to his parents. Hope they get all the help they need. <3

[melusinahp.livejournal.com]

Everything you said in that first paragraph. *nods*

I've read quite a bit about suspicions that the numbers of girls vs boys on the spectrum is actually more equal than they previously thought, as girls tend to display in different ways and the tests are mostly set up for boys.

[marguerite-26.livejournal.com]

*hugs you tight*

Yes, I've read similar things too (especially about ADHD) where girl 'hide' their symptoms so tend to fail the tests that are set up for boys.

I've noticed that with how things are set up in Canada, the gov funded ABA therapy is even less likely to be provided to girls because even with a diagnosis, the screening that the gov. does to see if ABA will help ends up saying the girls are too high-functioning for it.

Though I wonder if that is true. :/

Now that autism is getting so much more focus in the media and in the medical field, I hope a lot more studies are done on undiagnosed/untreated ASD in girls.

also... *more hugs*

[vesperdivum.livejournal.com]

<3

That first paragraph completely melted my heart.

Thanks for the link, it's really a wonderful intro to learning about autism.

[marguerite-26.livejournal.com]

<3

thank you for reading. :)

[hpfangirl71.livejournal.com]

This is a lovely post hun... more people need to be educated about this disease... I have two children that suffer various forms of it, plus two nephews as well. Its so hard for people to understand that your child isnt just misbehaving but actually sees things differently and is having a difficult time coping... I love seeing that my friends support this lovely cause, Its probably because they've come to know people like us who have to deal with this on a daily basis. Who knows... maybe someday they will find a permanent cure!! <3

[marguerite-26.livejournal.com]

Its so hard for people to understand that your child isnt just misbehaving but actually sees things differently and is having a difficult time coping...

yes! these last few years have taught me never to judge another parent when a child is acting not 'properly' in society. You never know they story behind that behaviour.