I hope everyone had a good month! Did you all remember to show your blue for Autism Awareness month? I displayed a beautiful bright blue light on my front and back porch to show my pride. Many neighbors asked me about it, and when I told the the reason, they got in on lighting up their blue too! 

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I recently attended a benefit dinner on April 25, 2014 that had endless pasta in order to raise money to build a playground for the children at the Behavioral Analysis Center for Autism. I was able to meet some of the incredible staff, and I was also able to express my sincere interest in being a part of their team. I was instructed to contact the clinical directer via e-mail and attach my resume and cover letter. I sent that e-mail today, and I cannot wait to share with you all the rest of my journey to become an ABA therapist!

There are many websites, blogs, and Facebook pages dedicated to Autism and Aspbergers awareness. One medium I find particularly helpful is the Facebook page Autism Speaks.

The Facebook page is updated daily, and often with several updates through out the day. The user intereaction is rich with videos, images, and much more. April is Autism awareness month and April 2nd is World Autism Day.

The Autism Speaks page consists of beautiful and bright shades of blue to promote World autism Day, as they encourage everyone to wear blue and  light houses with blue lights in order to shine a light on Autism.

 According to the page, the mission of Autism Speaks is to "aim to bring the autism community together as one strong voice to urge the government and private sector to listen to our concerns and take action to address this urgent global health crisis. It is their firm belief that, working together, we will find the missing pieces of the puzzle."

Autism Speaks is the nation's largest autism science and advocacy organization. The organization works to help with the funding of research in regards to the causes, prevention, and treatments for autism.
 

 

Syndrome & Symptoms Sunday

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 I would like to invite everyone to join in on  discussing the different symptoms of Asperger Syndrome. The reason I have chosen to focus on the high functioning side of the Autism spectrum is because the  symptoms that it embodies lie deep below the surface, unlike other disorders on the spectrum, which are distinctly evident as the image here displays.

Each month  a topic will be discussed such as the causes and risk factors, signs and symptoms, treatment, and prognosis. To further engage on the topic, I invite my readers to bring forth information on current events in regards to the subject matter. Themes may include anything from which types of jobs a person with Aspberger Syndrome can be successful in to whether or not the disorder should disappear from the DSM.

The Puzzle Ribbon

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 Awareness Ribbons, due to their ubiquitous nature, are used to symbolize various concerns. The colors and patterns are what distinguishes one concern from another. The Autism Awareness Ribbon is intricate and reflects the mysterious complexities of the spectrum. What do you think of when you see this image? What do you think the puzzle pieces and bright colors mean? 

For me, the various colors and patterns represent diversity. So many different individuals, their families, and their friends are living with a disorder on the spectrum. The brightness of the colors embodies hope. There is great hope, that with increased awareness, appropriate treatments and detection at younger ages will greatly improve the lives of those touched by autism spectrum disorders. 

You can purchase autism awareness ribbons and other awareness items to help support the cause. The goal is not to cure the disorder, but rather to educate in order to celebrate the differences that it brings.

About This Blog

Since I was a young child, I have always seen the beauty in things that “normal” society would not see. Society is always seeking new landscapes, finding the grass to be greener on the “normal” side of the fence, but true understanding comes with, not seeking these new landscapes, but seeing with new eyes. This blog exemplifies my understanding of the world that children with Autism live in. I strive to raise Autism Awareness in my community and beyond through speeches, writing, and social media.

Society believes that those who hear the music, while they do not, have a disability with something wrong or missing. With Autism it is about what is abundant, rather than what is missing, an abundance of creativity, intelligence, and wonder. These children are so much more than a diagnosis, but until you chose to hear the music with them, you will be left out while some of us are dancing joyously with them.