Autism Awareness Month

     

April is Autism Awareness Month.  Actually in our home, though, it's every day of the year.

Autism looks different on every kid.  Like a snowflake, each one unlocking beauty to a world you might not otherwise see... Steve M. Shore said it perfectly when he said, "If you've met one individual with autism, you've met one individual with autism."  It sometimes shows up right away in ways that are screaming you in the face.  Other times, it's a quiet shadow hovering, leaving you wondering if you've missed something.

Caleb's diagnoses came after a few years of being chased by that shadow... I didn't know what to look for, didn't know who to call...I just knew that something wasn't quite right...I knew my son was in there, but couldn't quite find him.  A friend put me in contact with an autism supervisor with Western PA Psych Care.  She turned out to be an angel sent to us from God and became a very dear friend of our hearts...for life.  She spent an hour and a half of her own time, listening, sharing and guiding me with what next steps to take... I didn't know that the end of that conversation would be the beginning of such a beautiful journey with my son... A journey that would provide constant learning and growing.  Ignorance will keep people in the dark, but knowledge will bring power.

I know that people say that it's not good to put labels on kids.  We don't.  Caleb is not autistic.  He has been diagnosed with autism.  He is not broken, defective or challenged...He is beautiful, different and challenging.  He is a wonderful, mysterious, amazing, bright kid, full of endless possibilities that happens to be going about life in a different way ... 

I'm quite fond of him.