Autism Awareness

   

For those that don't know April is National Autism Awareness Month.  The puzzle pattern of the ribbon reflects the mystery and complexity of autism.  The different colors and shapes represents the diversity of people and families living with this disorder.  The brightness of the ribbon signals hope - hope through research and increasing awareness in people like you.

  I'm running in a 5k next month for children with special needs and the marathon is being put on by my roommate's parents who are parents to a child with autism. I feel so lucky to know her brother, Jacob,  and be able to participate in such a wonderful event. Being her friend and getting to know her family has really made me aware of autism and made me realize how strong and loving her mother is everyday.  It has made me treat my special need passengers on flights much better, not that i didn't before, but i think it has made me treat them as more of an equal, which is how any person would want to be treated. I have stopped saying the R-word (retarded) because I know now how offensive it actually is. I'm thankful for Jacob and all that I have learned from know him and his family. 

One of my fave YouTubers is a mother of two sons with forms of autism. Here's a video she posted also for Autism Awareness Month:

My family coming from a mixed background taught me to accept everyone for who they are and not to judge anyone but I honestly do think it's hard to understand special needs people, unless it is someone in your family that you love unconditionally,  to be able to truly accept and treat them equally.

• One of my favorite movies is about a woman with autism, Temple Grandin, which is an HBO Film starring Claire Danes who actually won a Golden Globe for her portrayal of Temple Grandin.     
• Here's a great book by Jodi Picoult, House Rules, about a young boy with a form of autism called Asperger's Syndrome who is accused of murdering his tutor. 
• One other movie that, I found, put a face to autism for me was, Mozart and the Whale, a unique romantic comedy about two people with autism who fall in love with each other.       
• The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time  is a book narrated by a 15 year old boy with an autism spectrum condition trying to solve the mystery of who killed his neighbor's dog.                                                          

1 in 88 children are affected with autism spectrum in America.  That number is astounding and has only got worse. Awareness needs to be raised through out our country. For more info on Autism visit these websites: http://www.autism-society.org/

http://www.autismspeaks.org/

Always
Unique
Totally
Intelligent
Sometimes
Mysterious

"Don’t underestimate persons with autism, try to understand." 

Here's Jacob and his family..