Musings and What-not

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.

You're probably getting tired of me always plugging Twitter , but I can't help myself!  The place rocks! A couple of weeks ago, one of my Tweeps approached me to review an auditory calming system manufactured by his company, B-CalmSound.com ! I'm all for testing new gadgets, so I said, "Yes!" At first glance, the system just looks like your average mp3 player, but it's the sound tracks that deliver the gifts.

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.