AUTISM Awareness Month

One of my favorite quotes of ALL TIME is “Life can either be accepted or changed! If it is not accepted, it must be changed. If it cannot be changed, then it must be accepted.” So I take you into the unknown of the one thing that I cannot accept wholeheartedly. My son, Aaron, is on the spectrum of Autism…

This is no April Fools, it’s not a matter of self-pity, it’s a matter of acknowledging that once I accept it, then hopefully, family and friends will accept it as well. The long road to discovery… When Aaron was just two years old, we were struggling with his inability to socialize properly with other children his age dealing with issues of behavior such as pushing, biting, not using his words, and participating in group activities. Of course, as a semi-intelligent parent, I assumed and acknowledged that these issues were just the terrible-two stage and the daycare just needed to take a chill pill. Then he moved up to the preschool room with new teachers and new beginnings, or so I thought. The behaviors became even more aggressive and more noticeable. My first instinct was the take him out of the daycare that just wanted to label my child as the problem and not dealing with the issue. Onto the next preschool we go. I withdrew him from one and transferred him to another, where he began to exhibit the same issues and his teacher acknowledged, but with her education and back ground she presented us with her opinion as having Asperger’s Syndrome.

Asperger’s is autism spectrum disorder (ASD) that is characterized by significant difficulties in social interaction, alongside restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior and interest according to Wikipedia.com. Since he had the same issues with the other daycare/preschool, we decided to check into this suggestion. Tests revealed from one psychologist, that he was, one showed he wasn’t, others said absolutely not, and over the course of years, it is finally time for me, as a parent, to step up and make my own opinion and diagnosis. So with that being said, and with all evidence and research, both medically and personally, I have concluded that he is mildly on the spectrum, but then I realized that deep down so is everybody else in the whole wide world (this is my opinion, only my opinion, no judgment or criticism is required or wanted).

The key is where on the spectrum you fall. Due to the symptoms, all of us will exhibit one or more of the traits that determine if autism is present. Do you have ADHD, exhibit OCD tendenencies, do you have issues socializing, do you have problems making eye contact, what about repetitive behaviors…come on, are you telling me that you don’t get up every morning knowing that you will be brushing your teeth, or that you must make your coffee to be able to function, etc. How about special or unique skills, are you intelligent, or do you have some quirkiness that others cannot understand or grasp? If you exhibit one or more of these symptoms, you experience signs of having an ASD. The question is: are you mildly or severe autistic?

Autism is spreading, but like a friend of mine said, autism is the new ADD. Frank A. Clark said, “We find comfort among those who agree with us, growth among those who don’t.” Therefore, I was in denial, because everyone important to me was agreeing with me that Aaron didn’t have a problem, he was just being a boy, but with my growth, research and determination to do what will benefit Aaron the most, I have accepted the fact that I cannot change what is in front of me, it doesn’t change Aaron nor how I see him or feel for him. He will ALWAYS be my pride and joy, my quirky, highly intelligent little man, and he will always remind me that I can do anything, and I mean anything, once I put my mind to it. Happy Autism Awareness Month and let it be known that I love someone with Autism.