Musings and What-not

As I read story after story of people performing and supporting genetic testing to eradicate autism... prenatal style, I can't help but feel sick to my stomach. This continued intolerance of a community that only wants to love, be loved and accepted, seems to be at the forefront of possible extinction . Why the fear ? I'd like to think that being in the midst of centuries old civil unrest and living in communities where mass genocide at the hands of those who have overstepped their boundaries and have become power hungry to be a significantly worse "fate".

Well, it is obvious that I have been hiding under a rock for several months because I can't believe I've missed a lot of what's been slinging around the autism community lately. There's been much talk about Dr. Wakefield , and now some Danish doctor, Poul Thorsen , is under seige. The wars never cease! While so not minding my own business , I was browsing through the autism news headlines on the blog, Left Brain Right Brain . This blog hosts some interesting stuff that often makes me go, "hmmmmmmm".

As children, the strength of our voices is determined by our parents. If you were raised in a household where children were supposed to be seen and not heard , then speaking out and standing up for your needs would have been a difficult task that would inevitably worsen the older you got. This was my upbringing. Too often, I was told that I wasn't to air our dirty laundry in public or discuss family business with strangers . I was also told to just be quiet, particularly, during those times when my parents were tired and didn't want to be bothered.

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.

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.