Musings and What-not

This is not a piece about segregation. This is not a piece about discrimination. This is a piece about awareness. American Aboriginals have been raised not to talk about family business even amongst those not within the immediate family circle. As children, we learned "not to air our dirty laundry in public". As children, we learned how to associate with, identify with, and categorize... life. As children, we learned all things are truly not equal. An apple is not an orange. An orange is not an apple. White is not "Black". "Black" is not White. The media doesn't tell many stories of American Aboriginal families affected by autism, and it's probably because not many of us are outspoken about living with it. So, when Holly Robinson Peete and Toni Braxton came out and told the world that they, too, were living with autism?  Well, that news was probably a shock to our community. I, for one, am very grateful they are speaking out. I've been sear...

**This post is not meant to be offensive.  If you're offended, please accept my apologies.  I am merely sharing an experience.** My family's theme this holiday season is trains, trains, trains!  They are my son's absolute favorite thing. Do you know how Cookie Monster loses his mind whenever he's given a cookie?  Well, that's pretty my prince's reaction whenever he hears or sees a train. Last night, we surprised him by taking him to Dry Gulch, USA . The property was purchased in 1985 and originally constructed to be an Old West movie set for feature family films. In 1996, Dry Gulch added a narrow-gauge steam locomotive to its list of attractions. The Christmas Train was launched later that year, and the attraction now welcomes an average attendance of 50,000 guests over the course of select nights of operation in November and December. As part of an evening at The Christmas Train, you will experience the true meaning of Christmas amidst the sights and sounds o...

So, what's a parent to do?  Christmas is creeping up on us... What can we do to ensure our children remain healthy this holiday season? Besides eating healthy, what are our other options? Do we even have any? Earlier this year, I donated about 98% of my son's toys.  Anything toxic has been banned from his room... and this house. Our home is as healthy as I can make it without going completely apey ! I already told you about HealthyCar.org in a previous post , and during a conversation with a friend today, I learned about another groovy organization. Allow me to introduce you to Healthy Toys .org ! It's another project of the Ecology Center, and it's goal is to educate consumers of the toxins harboring in children's toys and other products. Why Do We Need Healthy Toys? HealthyToys.org includes test results for more than 1,500 toys and children’s products. This site is a first step in providing parents, grandparents, and others who care about children with the info...

I've only known about this site for a couple of days, and I really like the information they offer. So, imagine my surprise when I received an email from Craig Evans, co-founder, stating he wanted to interview me for their Key Learnings from Autism Thought Leaders program. I mean, really?  Me? Talk about a cool experience. Craig made the whole process smooth and enjoyable.  I didn't even feel like I was being interviewed; it felt like I was chatting with a friend. This post is really short tonight because I'm still reeling from it all. I hope you enjoy the interview as much as I did.

While waiting for my son's speech session to finish up, I chatted up another mom in the lobby.  I had overheard her talking about recent hair loss, and I wanted to tell her about some natural remedies. As one would suspect, the conversation eventually turned to our children. Her son, now 15, was diagnosed when he was 3.  As he was leaving with the new therapist, she pointed out his inability to speak conversationally... meaning in full sentences. She also pointed out that for every question the therapist asked, he responded with a one-word response. Autism or not, how many teenaged boys do you know that have a lot to say whenever they're in the company of a "hot chick"? I mean, really?!?!?  How many? She also went on to discuss his other "problems" like ADHD, Oppositional Defiant Disorder (something I had never heard of before today), Scoliosis, and something else I can't recall right now. Then there was her other son who has ADHD and Tourette's Syn...

Twitter has been an awesome resource for me.  I've been introduced to companies and websites I would have otherwise not have known about. Everyday, it's someone new. Today, I received several new and pretty cool "follower" notifications, but one of them really caught my eye. @fgustafson is the co-founder of Autism Hangout which is part of Community Hangouts whose "business is to transform individuals in need into communities of care." This transformation is accomplished through the following: "Learn... Share... Thrive!" 1. The presentation of relevant, timely community news and ongoing reports helps individuals in need “learn” of solutions to their issues. 2. Each hangout offers technological tools that enable ''sharing'' discussions (i.e. forums, product/service review sections) and encourage personal interaction (i.e. a member can create their own home page with a listing of interests, blogs, video postings and more). 3. Simi...

With heavy heart I write this post. Last night the fam and I headed over to Romano's Macaroni Grill for some good eats. As we sat in our booth, minding our business, we saw something that saddened us... You know the economy's gone down the crapper when even Santa has to get a second job! {teehee  Hope I made you smile.  This gentleman actually bleaches his beard every year for the holidays.  He also volunteers by donating & delivering gifts, dressed as Saint Nicholas, to children living in at risk communities in Tulsa!  We tipped him a fiver for letting us take his picture, and he told us he would put it towards his Christmas fund for the kiddos.  WOW!  The world truly does need more people like him in it.}

I am thankful for a little piece of spam email that I received back in 2005.  It was from Santa Mail.org ! I am thankful for the wonderful memory this company gave me. That year, I got to see the most wonderful expression cross my son's face when I told him he had a letter from Santa.  It was priceless!  He was beyond excited! Here's a screenshot from this company's website. The letters are personalized and are postmarked from the North Pole.  You can choose from a Traditional or a Christian letter. There are even letters for Baby's First Christmas ! And for $9.95, it's worth it! Since 2005, I've been addding the Good List Certificate to my order because lil' man is the best kid ever ! One of the items I would LOVE to order, but will have to wait until we move to a climate where it frequently snows, is their exclusive "Santa Was Here" kit. Very original these folks are, and they're definitely worth checking out! I don't know about you,...

The commenters on Lisa Jo's blog seem to be inspiring my posts this weekend.  ;) Today, Lisa Jo wrote about Autism and the Happy Medium (basically, finding balance in our lives).  One of her commenters happens to be one of my favorite Twitters , and he's an all-around good dad to a child on the spectrum. It was his statement that made this post possible. It is amazing how much time there is in a day when you lose your job and many of the social functions are off limits due to the behavior and actions of your child with autism. Why is this the case exactly? How many parents actually feel the same? Are they more concerned about how they will look in these social settings? Have these parents allowed their egos to get in the way of their children enjoying more of life? Or is there more to it? Nothing is off-limits for us because I don’t think folks have enough chutzpah to give us funny looks if my son does something “unusual”. Holistic lifestyle or not, I still have my military a...

You have the warriors. And then there's the rest of us. The warriors will, literally, stop at nothing to "fix" their children. While the rest of us don't view our children as being broken and in need of repair. The warriors are very angry and are certain of the "cause" and "cure" for autism. While the rest of us believe, and know, that there's more to learn and discover about the "causes" and that there's definitely not a "cure" for something still considered a mystery. Like the nation, our community is extremely divided, and I do not know how we can come together. The warriors don't  understand those of us who don't subject our children to rather intensive and extensive therapies just so we can have the "perfect" child. No.  I don't think they like us very much at all. The warriors also don't appreciate it if you don't agree with them by claiming that vaccines are the "primary" ca...

Black Friday is also known as Over-Consumption Friday. We have become a world where the Christmas lists are endless, and no one is ever satisfied. What happened? Where did we go wrong? How can we stop this vicious cycle before it's too late? Wall-E is an excellent example of what will happen to us if we keep over-consuming the way we are. Here's an excerpt from the Rolling Stones review: First image: the Earth as a garbage dump, a future reduced to ruins. For the past 700 years, what's left of humanity has been cruising the skies in a spaceship. Only a tiny robot, WALL-E (for Waste Allocation Load Lifter: Earth class), scoots around on urban terra firma compacting trash into piles that grow into skyscrapers. BNL which stands for BUY n LARGE reminded me of Wal-Mart aka Wallie World 'cause it's reminiscent of an amusement park where practically everything you want is at your disposal. BNL is a conglomerate that sells everything at low prices...

Thanksgiving is that time of year when folks, miraculously, take time out of their busy schedules to gather 'round and be thankful. Blaring car horns... Phones ringing off the hook... Folks rushing by to get nowhere fast... All seem to slow down if only for one day. This day. For some, parenting a child with autism can seem daunting, even down right frustrating. For others, parenting a child with autism brings wonder to each day because you never know what's going to happen. I, for one, am thankful for autism. I am a more patient, tolerant, and compassionate person... all thanks to autism. I am a more caring, kind, and empathetic person... all thanks to autism. This year, I am not faced with the hustle and bustle of making a grand meal for all to enjoy.  (Last year's headache of not having an oven remains a bitter moment for me.) This year, I am not faced with having to dash to one family home to another. My holiday season will seem relatively calm compared to most, and thi...

Please share your thoughts on this topic.

In a previous post , you learned of a Wisconsin troop "ousting" a little girl on the spectrum.  You also got to read my feelings about this event. I was peeved and have since calmed down.  The picture that had been painted for me by The Journal-Sentinel wasn't a pretty one.  I saw autism and rejection in the same sentence, and I think I may have blacked out from all the red I was seein'. I had a few commenters that shed some light on the situation.  One was mean and was quickly dealt with while another, D. Kirk, in particular, blew the doors wide open for me. Ask and you shall receive. I wanted to learn more about this situation, and he kindly informed me (by way of another comment) that more had come through the grapevine. " The Other Side " to this unfortunate event has been aired by WTMJ Newsman, Jeff Walker. Through Jeff, we hear from a parent who was there.  This parent originally sent her letter to the Journal-Sentinel, but it was rejected for length...

What matters most to me is the blessing of a new day. What matters most to me is to see the smile on my son's face. What matters most to me is the deep friendships I have gained. What matters most to me is the abundance in my life. What matters most to me is my awareness of all things. What matters most to me is the laughter. What matters most to me is the joy I receive in doing something for someone else. What matters most to me are the many blessings I've received... because of autism. I put this video collage together a few years ago.  Today's theme made it the fitting choice to share with you. Enjoy!

I wasn't a subscriber to this fellow blogger 's site when the following comment was made by (38) Joan: I prayed before I ever had kids that god would give me children that have no mental or social problems. I believe that god ruined him. What if the best my child can do is work as a greeter at Wal-mart, how does one accept your child is doomed, ruined, a waste of human life? I just am begging someone to help me understand this. My initial feelings were those of pity for the child, not the mother.  However, as the words sank in, I couldn't help but feel sorry for her too.

Magi Klages' parents only want what most of us want for our children.  Inclusion.  Fair treatment.  Acceptance.  RESPECT. Unfortunately, the Girls Scouts of the USA know nothing about any of these.  After all, they claim to care so much about girls with special needs, but didn't hesitate to reject an autistic child from the party. Columnist, Lauren Walker of the Milwaukee - Wisconsin Journal Sentinel writes, Michele and Kevin Klages think the Girl Scouts ought to practice what they preach. The Girl Scouts' Web site says the organization has "a long history of adapting activities to girls who have disabilities, special needs and chronic illnesses." Tell that to Magi, their 8-year-old daughter, who has autism. When her parents brought her to a Girl Scout Brownie troop for girls with special needs in Oconomowoc last week - thinking it would be a good fit - the leaders told them not to bring her back after the first visit. They were stunned, disappointed, frustrated...

If you pick up a can of soup and find that the sodium levels are lower than you expected, or that a food item advertises it has “less sugar” or “no MSG” ... then there may be cause for alarm. A relatively young company, Senomyx, may be responsible for the sodium and sugar levels falling in various grocery store items. They may be putting chemicals into your food right now, without telling you and without you even realizing. Under the law, they don’t have to. Senomyx has contracted with Kraft, Nestle, Coca Cola, and Campbell Soup to put a chemical in foods that masks bitter flavors by turning off bitter flavor receptors on your tongue. The companies can then reduce sugar and sodium levels by approximately half without affecting the flavor. All of the companies declined to identify which foods and beverages the chemical additives have been or will be added to. These chemical compounds are not required to be listed separately on food labels; they are grouped into the general category of ...

Fellow blogger, Kari , wrote a post at Silicon Valley Moms Blog about the hit ABC show, Grey's Anatomy and their extremely insulting portrayal of Aspergers Syndrome. Kari very eloquently expressed her feelings about this new, and, thankfully, temporary character. Something I am unable to do at this moment in time.  The reason I am unable to eloquently express my feelings is because I am so incredibly ticked off right now, I can't even think straight. Here's an excerpt from her post. I had high hopes for Mary McDonnell's three-episode-arc character Dr. Virginia Dixon on Grey's Anatomy . I thought, "It will be great to see someone a little quirky take on the already strange social scene at Seattle Grace." Unfortunately, when the episode aired, I was disappointed . Instead of a brilliant cardiac surgeon who happens to have Aspergers , Dr. Dixon is a very impaired Rainman -like stereotype of autism. While the words I write about autism are read by a couple ...

By Erma Bombeck Most women become mothers by accident, some by choice, a few by social pressures and a couple by habit. This year, nearly 100,000 women will become mothers of handicapped children. Did you ever wonder how mothers of handicapped children are chosen? Somehow, I visualize God hovering over earth selecting His instruments for propagation with great care and deliberation. As He observes, He instructs His angels to make notes in a giant ledger. "Armstrong, Beth, son. Patron saint, Matthew. "Forrest, Marjorie, daughter. Patron saint, Cecelia. "Rudledge, Carrie, twins. Patron saint...give her Gerard, He's used to profanity." Finally, He passes a name to an angel and smiles, "Give her a handicapped child." The angel is curious. "Why this one, God? She's so happy." "Exactly," smiles God. "Could I give a handicapped child a mother who does not know laughter? That would be cruel." "But has she patience?" ...