Hi everyone, we’re starting April with a rainy weekend, right? You know what they say though, April showers bring May flowers.
I wanted to talk about Autism Awareness this month, as April is also autism awareness month. I have a child on the spectrum and I’m eager to do anything and everything I can to further this cause, autism awareness. Did you know that One in 68 U.S. children has an autism spectrum disorder (ASD), a 30% increase from 1 in 88 two years ago, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention? It’s staggering, right? Donations to groups like Autism Awareness, Light It Up Blue and Autism Speaks raises much needed funds to help provide treatment, education, research and advocacy.
My son is now 19, almost 20, and thriving. I was a bulldog when it came to his care and making sure he got the best I could get. I noticed something though over the years of testing, therapy and treatment… those without insurance or good insurance plans didn’t get the level of treatment they sometimes needed. Donations to the various reputable charities and organizations funnels back down so those without the means to get the treatment their children need get that extra push financially. Donations also go tired finding a cure and pushing new and advanced treatment options to the public.
Do you or someone you know live with Autism? Share your story in the comments, we all need a sounding board, right?
Every year I gather up a wonderful group of Authors, Bloggers, Promoters, Narrators and more and they all donate things for an auction on my Facebook page. This year I have over 50 lovely people donating with over 70 items to be had. Want to see what’s available and/or bid? Follow this link: https://goo.gl/ZLyXWa to see the album. If you click on the link and it says “unavailable” you need to go to the main page (https://www.facebook.com/TamsBookBlog/) like the page, click on Photos, then click on Albums, then click on the 2017 Autism Awareness auction album. All the details for the auction are listed with the first image.
Remember, April is autism awareness month so share your story, light it up blue (Home depot has blue light bulbs for your porch and a portion of each bulb sold goes to the ‘Light It Up Blue’ campaign for autism awareness)… Listen, Learn, be an Ally!
Links for those needing assistance…
Autism Soceity: https://www.autism-society.org/
Autism Awareness: https://autismawareness.com/
Light It Up Blue: https://www.autismspeaks.org/liub
Home Depot bulbs: http://www.homedepot.com/s/autism%2520light%2520bulb?NCNI-5
TTC Books and more: https://www.facebook.com/TamsBookBlog/
Autism Awareness is very important. It is a cause near and dear to my heart as we have a son with autism. He is 30 years old now. I recognize your saying you do anything for him. Of course you would do anything for any child, but with a child with special needs you have to go the extra mile.
Thankfully I am living in a country where insurance is not a problem. We could and can give our son all the therapy and care he needs. He lives in a special care facility, he has his own apartment and takes care of himself, but he has access to guidance and help 24/7. He has a job and a very sweet girlfriend. He is happy.
But autism is never cured, it is with him every second of the day. That is not a bad thing, though, he is who he is, a unique human being, a special man.
Having a kid with autism opens your eyes to the way you see other people. When another kid is acting strange or rude you don’t immediately judge as you might have done before. You have more patience with people and you let them be who they are.
Good luck with the auction. I hope you will raise a lot of money, that can go to all the good causes.
Thank you Tanja, I hope you’ll stop by the auction and take a peek!
My son has Asperger’s Syndrome, among other issues, that we’ve had to deal with on our own because of our state government-funded insurance constantly being dropped. If I get a paltry partial child support payment, my benefits through the state (and I’m disabled) are immediately cut off because my income went $2 over their limit. To reinstate the medical coverage, because I never receive a full child support payment let alone receive them regularly, I have to start all over and reapply, prove again that we are basically destitute. It gets tiring, and it’s supposed to be illegal to drop my son from insurance precisely because of his Autism diagnosis, and the need for continuing therapies. When will America provide basic medical care for it’s citizens?
I hear you Nicki442, I too had these same issues early on with my son who also has Asperger’s. That is why this cause is so important to me, I love being an ally and helping raise awareness.
I have a cousin with Asperger’s…I don’t know him well, but apparently he’s brilliant in math and doing well in mainstream classes. (Apparently Sesame Street is introducing an autistic Muppet character next week, I’m eager to see how they explore autism!)
Thanks for the post and I’m glad people are more aware of autism. I don’t know anyone that lives with it, or at least that I know of. But that’s kind of the point of awareness. For example, my husband, who raves about Big Bang Theory, says that at some point he’s sure that Jim Parsons will say in his characterization of Sheldon that he envisioned him as mildly autistic. I don’t know if that’s on the mark or not, but 10 years ago we wouldn’t even have been aware enough to even think about it that way.
Oh, I meant to ask, I hope Autism Awareness Month went well, what is one of the things that stands out for you that it/you were able accomplish?