A is for Autism

April is Autism Awareness month.

If you read my blog and know anything about my family and beautiful son JACK you know he is autistic.

There are a lot of thing I could post regarding who he is and how much I love him.  But if you go back through my postings you will find all that out.  What is on my mind right now is how important it is for the awareness to spread.

Autism is "spreading" at an alarming rate.  I was just informed yesterday that Autism Speaks now says that it's 1 in every 84 kids who are diagnosed on the spectrum and in boys it is a staggering 1 in 54!

I am not one to follow popular belief in why or how.  I am not one to think it is something in the "air", but really WHAT is going on? I am starting to wonder myself.  Why ? How? What?

Autism has become such a part of our life that it seems "normal".


Children with disabilities is slowly becoming some what of a "norm".  When I was living in Los Angeles, I met more mom's at the parks who thought "something" was up than not.
The word Autism was thrown around like a blanket.

All I know is that five years ago I wasn't answering developmental questions about Jack at 14months but if you walk into a well visit today you are handed a paper and a pen to check off the YES's you can find.

YES she is doing this.  NO he is not.

Living in a house with one child on the spectrum and the other two not I am constantly swinging from world to world, hanging on my rope and jumping into the water of autism any second that it comes up on the tide.  It's not always.  I am a lucky one.  Jack is high functioning in many ways.  He seems so "normal"at times you forget.  And then something happens and you remember.

I love him.  The journey is always moving forward.  He is moving forward day after day.  He smiles with such happiness in his eyes I cry if I think about it too hard.  I am grateful for all that he is.

I am grateful for all the support now in the world and the people who spend their days working on trying to find out exactly what is going on.

I don't think there is a "cure".  I don't think it is a disease.  I think it's just different.  These kids are Zebra's living in a monkey world.  They see the world in such a different way.

I would give my left arm to see it for just one day.

What a beautiful and interesting world it would be.

Thank you to all who give our family support known and unknown it does not go unnoticed.  Life is a strange journey.  I am glad I have my "strange" Jack by my side.

To all those I have known who sit on our rainbow---happy sliding.