I love "The Parent Side" satirical cartoons! They say what most of us, as parents, are thinking but do it in a comical way♡. I find myself laughing at the cartoons because I have personally experienced some of the situations even though, at the time, the situation wasn't funny.
Countdown to the next IEP meeting. Hoping this one goes better than before. I wish people would remember that parents are PARTNERS in the IEP process not passive attendees. Parents are often criticized for not showing up for meetings but, trust me, I can definitely understand why!
With all the talk about parent participation in IDEA, why are we still fighting to be heard when it comes to our children's academic needs? Smh
Less than a month away before our 1st panel presentation focused on the reality of living on the spectrum. So excited!
So April has has been slated as Autism Awareness Month. there is even a big deal made of "Lighting It Up Blue" at major landmarks around the world yet because we going to do. However this year has not seen the same level fanfare from years past. In fact there is little evidence that autism awareness is on anyone's mind these days.
Many people had been opposed to even acknowledging April as autism awareness month because of its association with the controversial organization Autism Speaks. Autism Speaks has been criticized for calling a disease that can be cured ( something that I personally do not believe). But regardless of one's beliefs about an organizations mission statement, the fact still remains that autism had been brought to the forefront in a spectacular way and it was up to us to carry the torch and speak truth into dialogue that would certainly arise about autism and NOT leave it to others to tell our stories or speak our truths!
My fear is that now we are taking steps back instead of moving forward in our efforts to raise awareness and promote acceptance of individuals with autism.
We are very excited about our first panel presentation to discuss autism in the home, school, and community. My Life My Autism was created for this very purpose...to bring autism into the forefront by opening up dialogue about how it impacts the person with the diagnosis as well as their loved ones.
This is only the beginning!
We are SO excited about our upcoming panel presentation at NC A & T State University! Hopefully this is the start of something that will continue to grow and have a positive impact on the autism community.
My hope is that one day autism awareness is not just a moment in April that we cast blue lights and wear our best Autism Awareness gear; but that we promote and support awareness all year long through social media, research endeavors, community outreach and open discussions.
Please check out this video! It shows us the sensory experience from the perspective of a child with autism. While I understood that my son was having sensory issues, especially in public places (even his favorite hang out spots), I never knew what it felt like to him because his expressive language abilities are not well developed. Now I have a better understanding of what life may be like from his point of view.
https://youtu.be/Lr4_dOorquQ
