Autistic Angel Adventures

Bright Eyes 

     My beautiful boy babbled on time, he sat up, he walked, showing good signs.  His eyes were bright and clear, his smile so dear.  Suddenly things began to change . . . Struggling to speak and the brightness began to wane.  His fixation on things grew and his focus was gone, I watched him slipping away into a fog.  Still funny and cuddly and makes my days sunny . . . . It's called Autism and it's difficult to explain. 
This causes all sorts of delays in his brain.  He's still smart as a whip but it's harder to express.  Working through all this sometimes turns out to be quite a mess.  Not seeing him advance like he should; holding on to the knowledge and wishing that he could.  Loving him and teaching him all that we have . . . We will conquer this monster hand in hand. (unknown author)

     I found this poem while on the web, I'm constantly looking for every bit of information and research I can find.  This story falls too close to my own personal experience with my oldest son.  Some people are scared of autism only because they do not understand what it is.  Unfortunately more children everyday are being diagnosed with autism, even worse is there's too many different levels....that's why a diagnosis is labeled Autism Spectrum Disorder.  We need to help others understand.  I used to get a lot of strange looks from people whenever my son is acting out from discouragement and frustration.  After enough of those looks of “can’t you control or discipline your child?”   I did something.  I wouldn't hurry out of the store or parking lot anymore like I had in the past.  Instead I approached the glaring onlooker and ever so sweetly explained "my son is autistic and unable to speak".  At one point I even found business cards on the web to hand out to friends, family, neighbors, and anybody I came across just to help increase autism awareness with this message:

If you are puzzled by my child's behavior, it is not their boldness or lack of discipline.  My child is Autistic.  A person with autism can often behave in an unpredictable manner.  They sometimes find it hard to cope with many everyday situations and are quite simply doing the best they can.   Please be patient.

    

     April is Autism awareness month, but any time is a good time to help spread awareness.  This not only will help inform others of the disorder, but think how maybe your son/daughter might be approached differently and maybe made more comfortable in a variety of social settings!  We all want the best for our children in life, whether or not they're autistic, right?  God asks the angels above to give these children to certain parents for a reason; he wouldn't if he thought we couldn’t handle it.  Remember....children are a blessed gift from above.

My little green eyed angel!

My little blue eyed angel!