National Autism Awareness Month

April is National Autism Awareness Month. Nearly everyone knows someone with autism or  someone on the spectrum. Having worked for over three decades with individuals with this disorder I know that it continues to be a disorder that puzzles professionals and parents. For every 110 births, 1 individual will have autism.

I have had the privilege of working with children who have  autism and know I have never seen two individuals with the diagnosis who were exactly the same. It's important to remember that everyone with autism is unique, just like every person is unique. Autism knows no barriers whether cultural, race, gender or economic status. There is no cure for autism. But, unlike other disorders that might be apparent because of physical impairments or obvious signs of affliction, many individuals with autism "look perfectly normal". This can certainly make autism unforgiving as often the behavior of autistic individuals seems "inappropriate or unacceptable" based on the fact that the public often sees " a normal looking person". But the lives of some of the parents of children with autism can be so significantly disrupted because every thing we do without thought has to be planned and executed with considerable consideration of how the child with autism might respond.

A trip to the grocery store, mall, even the neighborhood swimming pool can be a traumatic event, depending on the reaction of the child. Hearing a new sound or being overstimulated by surroundings even in places like a playground or restroom can be so frightening to an autistic child they resort to terrified screaming to escape.

To an individual who is not familiar with the disorder, parents with autistic children are often looked at skeptically and the child might be thought to be simply disobedient and needing punishment for causing the outburst.

I might have thought that so very long ago too, but now I know from years working with autistic individuals, life with them can be unpredictable.  I also know that often these children can make us stop and appreciate a world with a different set of eyes and ears and certainly a different heart. The genuine love of life some of the autistic children I know have has humbled me and quite often made me smile in an otherwise ordinary day.

You can see a person who is blind or has trouble walking or even speaking but you often cannot "see" autism just by observing. It is easy to just think a  child having a tantrum or running into the street is simply being disobedient.It is easy to often see a parent of these children as lacking appropriate control of the situation. It is much harder to "see" the disorder below the surface at first glance.

The next time you witness a child having a meltdown or behavioral issues don't be quick to  judge. I know that these children are among the most precious of God's gifts. They have a genuine innocence that most of us will never know again...they are after all, children first and then children with autism.

Support National Autism Awareness Month. Learn about the disorder and help fund continued research. There is bound to be a local chapter near you. Learn about the characteristics of autism and where to go if you think your own child might have the disorder. Autism is invisible if you don't acknowledge that it exists but that doesn't make it extinct. 

If your life hasn't been touched by autism, chances are it will be soon...and if not, get to know a family that has been touched. I guarantee your life and perspective will never be the same.

http:///www.autism-society.org/site/PageServer