April is Autism Awareness month. I don't know how long this has been the case, since this is the first year I realized there was an Autism Awareness month. My education on, in, and about Autism is constantly evolving, and this year is the first year I was "aware" of the "awareness" occurring throughout the month of April. There have been some phenomenal television shows, news specials, and print news media pieces discussing Autism and attempting to shed some light on this growing epidemic that is so incredibly enigmatic.
I've been a parent for 4 1/2 years now, but only a part of the Autism community for a little more than 1 1/2 years. There is so much I don't know about this disorder, but since I am trying to use this blog to give advice, I thought I'd take this opportunity to share a few things I have found helpful as a parent of a child with Autism.
Every individual with Autism is different. The condition manifests itself in a myriad of ways and the medical community is continuously struggling with how to define Autism Spectrum Disorders. In an attempt to share some information about a topic that is growing to affect a larger and larger portion of the population, I thought I would list some quick facts about Autism that I have learned in my brief and muddled education......
*Autism is a neurological disorder. If you see kids screaming out, spinning around in circles, flapping their hands, chewing on things that are not edible, behaving like maniacs, or acting completely out of control, try your very best not to judge. You really never know the whole story from the outside. If you feel compelled, offer to help. If the parent snaps at you, please try to show a little grace and remember the end of the previous sentence :). Remember, the children you see exhibiting this behavior have a neurological disorder. Their brains do not function in the same way other brains do.
*People with Autism can range in ability from being mentally retarded to being geniuses. As more and more therapies come available, we are able to tap into the ability to communicate with this population of individuals in a way we were never able to before. Try to approach children struggling with this disorder with the understanding that they have a tremendous amount of potential, the rest of the world just needs to find a way to access it.
*The way a person with Autism experiences the world is very different than that of a "neuro-typical" or "typical" person. Often times elements that may be normal to you can be very upsetting to a person with autism. Certain types of loud noises, unexpected laughter, bright lights, wind chimes, anything unexpected or unfamiliar can be very disconcerting to a child with autism.
*A brilliant doctor told me recently; "We support our kids with Autism by respecting their needs, and not letting them get upset if it can be prevented. Once they are upset, they aren't learning anything." You need to challenge kids with this disorder, you need to introduce them to new things and you need to meet them where they are and try and encourage them to grow into a higher level. But the understanding that by not respecting my son's needs, I was preventing him from learning truly resonated with me.
There is a lot to learn about Autism. We know so much more than we ever have and so little all at once. As a parent of a child with this disorder, I've had the opportunity to learn a lot of things I never would have learned otherwise. There are a lot of places you can go to find out more about Autism, but if you are looking to help support a friend or family member, I would recommend simply sitting down with them and asking some of the following questions:
*What can I do to help?
*Tell me about your understanding of (child's name here)'s Autism
*What is his/her biggest struggle right now?
*How can I help support (child)?
*Is there anything you would recommend I read?
If you are just interested in learning more about autism, I found these resources to be helpful:
www.autismspeaks.org
www.taca.org
"1001 Great Ideas for Teaching and Raising Children with Autism or Aspergers" by Notbohm and Zysk
"Looking After Louis" by Ely and Dunbar
Happy Autism Awareness Month, hopefully more knowlegde about this disorder will help you to better understand and support the people you love.
