Autism Awareness Month is Here!!!
April is Autism Awareness month and with that comes a lot of excitement! A whole month for me to share facts with strangers and help them learn to accept others for their differences.
Autism affects 1 in every 68 children. That means that 1 family out of 68 is going to have their lives change forever. They are going to be overwhelmed, stressed, and scared that they are going to fail their children. I was that parent, and I still am that parent.
The fear never leaves. Even as Jaxon improves, my fears change. Instead of being afraid that he will be nonverbal all of his life, I am now worried about how he is dealing with social situations. I see kids take a ball from him and think it's funny to make him run after them. I see it, and it breaks my heart. But I know that I can't be there for every little thing that goes wrong, so I leave it up to God and hope that Jaxon will be able to fend for himself.
Autism affects boys 4 times more than girls. That doesn't mean that girls with ASD don't need the same amount of awareness and acceptance. Girls with ASD can be nonverbal just like the boys. They can be very high functional and be awkward just like boys. Yet they don't receive a lot of recognition when Autism related posts or graphics come out.
The number of children diagnosed with Autism is staggering. And the fact that it keeps growing year after year is frightening. Not that these kiddos are scary by any means, but I can't comprehend how fast ASD has grown. I know the diagnosing criteria has improved greatly in the recent years, but I get to thinking about the poor children 50 years ago who were never diagnosed and treated as if they were of no value because they were different.
I'm going to rant for a minute here because the facts state that Autism does NOT affect life expectancy. So why on Earth can't I insure my son????? Gerber just chose their new Gerber baby and that sweet boy has Down Syndrome. But what makes me so mad is that Gerber won't insure any child with a disability!!! Autism is not a death sentence. Jaxon can live until he's 105. Autism in no way affects his lifespan, but because he is disabled, I can't get any life insurance for him.
Reeling it back in here. Whether your child is nonverbal, high functioning, or in the middle of the ASD spectrum, they all deserve love and respect. They are all human beings, and having other people treat them as less than is horrendous. All of these children and adults are a blessing, and this month is not the only time to spread awareness and acceptance. We must do it all year long! If we don't, who will??
I hope you all will join me tomorrow in wearing the color blue or something Autism related. Tomorrow is Autism Awareness Day! Spread the love and acceptance everywhere!!! Please if you have any questions please ask me. If you are ready to spread the word about our amazing kids and adults with Autism please do! THE ASD WORLD NEEDS OUR HELP!!!
