Light It Up BLUE!!!

So if you are new to our blog you probably don't see a change, but for those who have visited us before you should see a BIG difference... our page is BLUE!!!!  Why? You ask.  In honor of "Light it up Blue" silly! But seriously, APRIL is AUTISM AWARENESS month with the 2nd being WORLD AUTISM DAY!! So help support us by supporting the Light it up Blue event by Autism Speaks.  Its an annual event to help shed light on Autism.  So please on April 1st and 2nd (heck all month if you're super cool) support those who deal with Autism EVERY DAY OF THE YEAR.  We support by wearing BLUE, lighting a BLUE light (perhaps your porch light), donating to an Autistic charity, having a BLUE themed party, or just anything BLUE you can do!  Use your imagination and when someone asks be sure to educate them on what AUTISM is really about.

But wait!!! Do YOU even know what Autism is???  Could you educate someone else if they asked you too?  It's not misbehaved, bad parenting, I need attention kids... it's not mental retardation... it's not CONTAGIOUS and so far it's not "medically" curable. So here is the "official" description...  Autism is a general term used to describe a group of complex developmental brain disorders known as Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD). The other pervasive developmental disorders are PDD-NOS, Asperger's Syndrome, Rett Syndrome and Childhood Disintegrative Disorder. Many parents and professionals refer to this group as Autism Spectrum Disorders. Today, it is estimated that one in every 110 children is diagnosed with autism, making it more common than childhood cancer, juvenile diabetes and pediatric AIDS combined. An estimated 1.5 million individuals in the U.S. and tens of millions worldwide are affected by autism. Studies suggest boys are more likely than girls to develop autism and receive the diagnosis three to four times more frequently. Current estimates are that in the United States alone, one out of 70 boys is diagnosed with autism. WOW. 

In our home Autism is about routine, chaos, lack of communication and advocacy.  But look deeper and its unconditional, nonjudgmental, pure honest TRUE love.  There is nothing fake about Autism... there is no forced laugh or smile, there is no sarcasm, no mixed signals or "playing nice."  When Talon is happy you will see and hear it.  He wont try to contain it or suppress it from others.  His big grin and loud chuckle will fill any room and he simply doesn't care what others think of him.  He doesn't care if others point at his jumping and "flapping" because he is so happy and so excited that he doesn't want to (nor can he) contain it.  He doesn't see you whispering about his actions or discussing his "issues".  He is a happy kid who loves life.  He gives the tightest most meaningful hugs I have ever received and his slobbery kiss will fix any problem.  He is still unable to communicate verbally but rest assure mommy always knows his needs.  So many people have asked how I know what to do for him or how I knew what he wanted me to do... and honestly I have no idea how to explain it... I just know.    

So yeah, April is a very exciting month for us because I love to spread awareness and I love to share our experiences.  Someone may need your encouragement or better yet, they may REALLY need your hug.  And just a little bit of advice from a mom who knows... DON'T tell families affected by Autism that "everything will be okay".  Honestly it stings... We KNOW everything will be okay because WE wont give up until it is okay.  That doesn't fix it or make the nights easier.  We understand you mean no harm and are only offering support, but instead maybe just tell us you love us or better yet, tell us what an AWESOME kid we have. :)

~LIGHT IT UP BLUE APRIL 1ST AND 2ND~