Musings and What-not

I'm not a fan of doing laundry. Quite frankly, the only reason I do it at all is because I'm a pretty big fan of clean undies. But this post isn't about my underwear, and for shame on me for sharing something that intimate. ;) This post is about allergies. It's about why most people on the spectrum seem to have a ridiculously long list of the what-nots in their lives. It's about my son, and oh, it's about me too! ;)

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.

It is common for a person with autism to have certain food allergies.  And it is also common, within the community, for those individuals to be on very restrictive diets; the more popular being GFCF (Gluten-free Casein-free). Although, precautionary measures are taken to ensure one does not consume foods containing any triggers, some thought may not be given to whether or not the allergen-free foods are manufactured by companies who do not use genetically modified ingredients.

According to a recent article , 70% of doctors and nurses and 62% of health care workers do NOT receive this annual vaccination.  What's even more surprising is their reasons for not doing so: They didn't believe the vaccine would work They believed their immune systems were strong enough to withstand exposure to the flu They were concerned about side effects My son has never received the vaccine, and it's not because of the vaccine-autism "link".  I just never

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.