Musings and What-not

To say I have learned more than I could have every imagined on this journey would be a gross understatement. It has been 5 years since I received my son's diagnosis, and as I look back over those years, I am awestruck by how amazing this precious boy is. Every time I look into his eyes, I see so much love... unconditional love . At times, this love seemed too overwhelming for me to embrace because I had limiting beliefs that I was unworthy and undeserving of something so pure.

It is hard to find someone who is not familiar with the catchy, foot stompin', butt shakin', '90s tune by Right Said Fred .  You know the one... where the megalomaniac lead singer is prancing about the video talking about how he's too sexy for this and that? Well, the catwalk's got a new gig, and it is "shakin' its little tushy" for autism.

With so many people and organizations trying to rid the world of autism, those of us who are do not think along these lines feel a sense of urgency for the greater need to raise positive awareness. While others are seeking for acceptance in how they were born, others simply want to ensure that autism is no longer part of their lives. To eradicate something that defines, in many ways, who a person is and how they interact with the world is what some scientists, researchers, and parents are attempting to do at an alarming rate.

Like autism, ADHD has become a common diagnosis among youth.  There are currently 5 million children in America living with the disorder, and the "symptoms" can be exacerbated due to lack of treatment (i.e. medication, dietary restrictions, behavioral therapy, etc.). And like autism, ADHD also affects boys more often then girls. What is ADHD? Almost all children have behavior issues from time to time. But, for children with ADHD, behavior problems are persistent and occur over a long period of time. For a child with ADHD, their symptoms can create challenges all day, every day.

A medical diagnosis, of any kind, can be life-altering.  A life that once offered some measure of stability would now be forever changed. In 2005, our family received two blows to our way of living.  That April, my son was diagnosed with autism, and a few months later, my grandmother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. What is very interesting about the two disorders is they both affect a person’s neurodevelopment; however, the affects are experienced at the opposite ends of a person’s life.  While autism affects the youth and how they interact with the world, Alzheimer’s typically affects the elderly (over 65) and, ultimately, their interaction with the world outside.

Traveling can be challenging. Enter your neighborhood airport, and you’ll be faced with long security lines, crowded concourses, uncomfortable waiting areas, and once you’ve dealt with that, there’s still the hustle and bustle of trying to get in your seat without being ran over by other passengers seeking to do the same. Now, if you’re a person with autism, the challenge is dealing with this seemingly chaotic situation without having a meltdown.

Autism doesn’t have a "look". Down Syndrome, Spinal Bifida, and Cerebral Palsy all have one thing in common. They have a "look". When you encounter a person with one of these different abilities, you can see their uniqueness. However, if you were to encounter a person with autism, you wouldn’t know that there was more to them than what you see, and for some observers, seeing is believing.

I am often asked about how Nicholas "deals with change", and my response regularly receives raised brows for he adjusts pretty well to the new and unfamiliar.  His hand flapping may be briefly exacerbated, but the smile never leaves his face. While traveling to California which happened to be nearly a 1,500-mile drive, unlike a neurotypical child, I didn't hear, "Are we there yet?' nor did I hear sighs of anguish for being stuck in a car longer than 2 minutes.  What I did hear was laughter, singing, or silence whenever I spied him in deep thought or simply taking in the scenery.

I have been very fortunate to have met some pretty amazing people on Twitter .  There is one person who I've only recently had contact with that I find extremely fascinating.  His name is Michael Riedel, and he is an adult living on the Autism Spectrum Disorder. Michael contacted me via my book site, and we've been communicating almost daily ever since.  He is 25, gainfully employed, and has many interests.

The odds of a couple living in marital bliss aren't as high when you're living with autism.  Reports have stated that the divorce rate is a staggering 80% . Some would say that the diagnosis is too overwhelming while others say that the marriage foundation wasn't solid to begin with, and autism was the catalyst to "part ways". My situation doesn't fall into either category as I was a single mother for years before I met my husband, and I was not married to his biological father.  Although, we have not been married long, we have, nonetheless, come to an impasse.

There's World Autism Awareness Day and National Autism Awareness Month , but for those of us living with autism, raising awareness is an every day thing. As the number of children being diagnosed with autism continues to rise so will the need to raise awareness. Autism is not just a disorder that affects only American children.   Autism is global! There are approximately 67 million people living with autism today, and this number only includes those who have received an official diagnosis.

If I wasn't in a constant state of "guarding my thoughts carefully, and only allowing loving & positive thoughts to come through", I would have something slightly unpleasant to say about the state that is listed on my birth certificate. The Los Angeles Times recently reported that insurance companies in California would have to pay for speech, occupational, and physical therapies.

This is the headline from an online paper. I am literally devoid of feeling right now.  My mind is completely blank, yet I am typing this post. I am at a loss for words and emotion because this story is so incredulous that it seems surreal.  This story reminds me of a  Twilight Zone or Tales from the Crypt episode... gone horribly wrong. However, I am very confident that justice will prevail.  It is my hope that the Bells will be able to find a

Some Oklahomans won't ever get it, but here's hoping they will. I can understand some of their concerns, but it would have been really nice if these "lawmakers" had actually taken the time to hear the bill. It would have been nice if they had taken the time to review the laws of the states that have already passed similar laws. It would have been nice, but I guess nice isn't part of their vocabulary.

My husband and I have Blue Cross Blue Shield of Oklahoma as our health insurance provider.  Now, some of you may have groaned when you read that since BCBS isn't known, by some, as being the best provider. Then again, some of you may have cheered because you absolutely love BCBS, and you wouldn't leave your health benefits in some other provider's hands, so to speak. If you haven't been living under a rock, you've probably heard about parents demanding autism benefits from health insurance companies.  Just Google "autism health insurance", and you'll get 1.5M pages to check out.

As a mother to a child with autism, I am already very careful about what my son does and does not consume.  However, there was some recent news that I found deeply disturbing. I have often said that there is more to the extreme rise in childhood disorders these days, particularly autism, than just vaccines. You already know my stance on other contributing factors such as our severe environmental changes and other toxic and unnecessary food additives.

As you all know, I was pretty busy the last 10 days globe trottin' around the web all in the name of autism . I had the pleasure of "visiting" several blogs, forums, and organizational sites to not only promote my new book, In My Mind , but also to discuss life with autism. Hosts, from all over, took the virtual book tour as an opportunity to "interview" me and learn more about me.

Last night, I got all serious and what-not, I mean really serious, and I thought I'd keep the tone of tonight's post... light-hearted. I'd like to tell you more about an organization I'm involved with. No, it isn't some underground movement whose dastardly plan is world domination... although, that would be pretty cool. {wink}

Disclaimer: The quotes within this post are not for the sensitive. Another week has passed, and most of it seems like a blur to me now.   I've been so busy with my virtual book tour that it almost feels like I've been online, all day, every day of this week. Regardless, I still have blogging to do that doesn't have a thing to do with my tour. So, let's get on with it... shall we? This week's Freaky Friday post goes to a young woman named Tanja (Koch) Fleischer who, much to my chagrin, waged a flaming war against autism last summer.

Some day, autism resources will be bountiful and waiting lists will be a thing of the past, and we'll gather 'round, holding hands, rejoicing and singing the Age of Aquarius while sun rays beam out of our butts. Until that day comes, parents like me will have to keep walking the walk! I had a brief conversation with @ CemeterySpot on Twitter this morning... he was curious about whether or not there was a list that compared autism services by state.  Excellent question for someone not living with it.