Hi all, I just received an infomative email from the Autism Society of North Carolina. Even though I live in California, I find their information interesting to review. They have a lot of activities for autism awareness. Take a second to check out this webpage, http://www.autismsociety-nc.org/html/free_handouts.html They have a lot of free printouts and posters available to print and use! GOOD LUCK!

This weekend has been so amazing. First, Aaron was actually invited to a birthday party! When I called to RSVP the mom told me that she was so glad Aaron was coming and that there was a quiet room he could use at the location if he became overwhelmed!!! OMG!! I didn't even ask! Everyone else was out of town this weekend, so my younger daughter, Anne, was going to have to go to the party with us. My plan was to hang out in the lobby, parking lot, or at a nearby store so as not to impose an additional child on the party. I gave the birthday mom my cell phone number just in case, took a very deep breath and walked out the door. Two hours later the party was over and everything had gone perfectly. Today we have a Boy Scout den meeting. We're going to make a bat house, take a nature walk, and have a local college professor come talk to us about bats. Aaron is going to love this. He loves building with tools and the lecture on bats will be constantly interrupted by Aaron's questions and observations. It seems that we never have perfect Aaron weekends, but this is definitely one. It makes me so happy when things work out well for him. It seems that so often they do not. In a few weeks we're going to have a Boy Scout tree climbing activity, which we will pay for and attend, but not participate in due to Aaron's fear of heights. A week or two after that we're having a 2 night camp out with the Boy Scouts. If only mommy could find a way to not participate! It'll be fun, but I prefer sleeping in a bed and taking a shower indoors. I guess I should be happy if this camp ground has a shower!

For a short period of time, HBO is allowing you to watch AUTISM THE MUSICAL online for free. For those of you, like me, who don't have HBO, I was excited about this opportunity. Here is the link: http://www.hbo.com/docs/programs/autism/index.html?ntrack_para1=feat_main_text or http://www.hbo.com/docs/programs/autism/video/ to get straight to the video. Enjoy! Pass it on. This could be a good thing to include in emails during Autism Awareness Month. Just a thought. Joanna

Autism Speaks just sent me the following link that if you click on it before April 30 and watch the brief ad for a new Chevy car, they will donate money to Autism Speaks. It's easy and free. See details below http://www.chevrolet.com/autismspeaks/ Spread the word: Chevrolet has teamed up with Autism Speaks to drive home the message of autism awareness. During April - Autism Awareness Month - visitors to the Autism Speaks website (www.autismspeaks.org), can click on the "Help Chevy Help Autism" icon and take a virtual test drive of the 2008 North American Car of the Year - the all-new Chevy Malibu. Chevrolet has committed to a minimum contribution of $500,000, but every virtual test drive taken gets Chevrolet closer to its goal of donating up to $1 million to Autism Speaks to support its mission of increasing awareness of autism and raising money to fund autism research. Those who complete the virtual test drive will receive a free 30-day online trial of XM Satellite Radio. Read more and visit the Autism Speaks home page to take the virtual test drive. QUICK AND EASY WAYS TO SPREAD THE WORD: 1. Add the link to your e-mail signature. 2. E-mail everyone in your address book about the promotion and encourage them to do the same. 3. Post it on your MySpace/Facebook page. 4. Post it on your blog, and encourage those who have blogs to do the same. We need as many people as possible to view the video PRIOR to April 30. Please watch the video and spread the word.

I was working on my computer last night and needed a break from writing mindless brochure copy...for some reason God pointed me back to Foggy Rock and I found a reference to a show called Autism - The Musical. What started as random curiousity ended 93 minutes later with hope and inspiration! It also made me take a look again at Jackson...at times he seems so high functioning, I forget that we have a life-long impairment. I overlook his endless list-making and obsession with sports and constant one-sided dialogue about inane sports trivia that only he cares about! Then I see this show and see Jackson in all the children with Aspergers who go on and on about dinosaurs and bullies... Different topics...same mind...this is our world with Aspergers...

Okay, most of you have seen my post on how I want to open an indoor playground for our little ones with no blinking bells and quarter video games however I need help. HOW DO I GET STARTED? Do I walk into a bank and just tell them what I am doing and ask for money, do I need a business plan and how the heck do I write a business plan. I want to do this so much and everyone in my family and around me keep telling me I need to do a market analysis. Blah blah blah. I just want to do it! Any input would help.

I watched a video online today of a little girl violently attacking herself, hitting herself in the face and ripping out huge patches of her own hair, then slamming herself onto the floor, bashing her head over and over. The same video showed a boy racing back and forth anxiously trying to hurt himself despite the helmet on his head and gloves secured around his hands for his own protection. This same boy, the narrator explained, refused to eat to the point of malnutrition so severe that he had been near death. Another boy bites of pieces of his own tongue, sticks his hand deep into his mouth to rip out pieces of flesh and tears flesh from his face as well. My heart broke for these children and the people who love them. I watched and an eerie sense of familiarity washes over me. Autism. A word I didn’t know seven years ago, a word I’ve come to know all too well, a word I’ve come to despise. They ask the questions and you give the answers: Does your child ever bang her head? Does your child sometimes hit herself? Does your child often walk on her toes? Rock back and forth? Constantly cover her ears? Yes! And you’re actually relieved to learn that there’s an explanation. Autism. Then you live with it for a little while. You hope, you pray, you plead and, of course, you fight… My daughter, Sydney, is a sweet, cheerful ten year old girl who loves to sing, loves to dance. She showers me with hugs and kisses from the moment she wakes up in the morning until she falls asleep at night. We’ve had our share of troubles, messes, mishaps and escapes. She has no real sense of danger and used to like to jump from high places. She made no distinction between jumping off the top of a dresser onto the bed and out of a second floor window to the yard below, which is frightening. She thinks nothing of running across a busy street, sees no reason why she should stay with an adult or in the house rather than running off down the street to pick some flowers. There have been some long nights and some really long days. She’s sharp as a tack though, when there’s something in it for her and she pays attention even when you think she couldn’t possibly be processing anything around her. She’s getting to be a bit manipulative lately and, now that she’s developing a vocabulary of speech, she even tells lies! I know that shouldn’t make me proud but it does, screw it. Sometimes I see how fast she’s growing and I worry. No, not about boys and missed curfews but about how soon it will be before she’s bigger than I am, before she can outrun me… Sometimes I get really sad, even bitter, like when I see little girls laughing and playing with their friends or their dolls. Sydney doesn’t have any friends and she doesn’t know how to play with dolls. Sometimes I hear a mother hush her daughter and I want to shake her and tell her to listen to her daughter’s voice, cherish every utterance, because I’m not sure it’s realistic to hope that Sydney will ever talk to me like that, to really share herself that way. I remember all of the dreams I had back then when I held my beautiful baby girl and watched her learn and grow, all the songs we sang and games we played – before it started, before I knew… Sometimes I think I can see her right there, just beneath the surface and I wonder if there’s some way to set her free, some way that doesn’t require history to be re-written. I try to have hope because I know she needs me to. I found that video and I thought something I’ve never thought before, something I never thought I could think – we’re lucky. As the parent of an Autistic child you read the stories, you learn the behaviors, commit them to memory but words simply can’t describe the horror. I thought I knew but I had no idea. Sydney’s behavior is dwarfed in comparison, quirky almost. It may not make it any easier to hear that my ten year old has the functional language, academic and social skills of a preschooler but I can really be grateful that she’s safe and happy and continues to learn and grow with each day.

So after sitting down and thinking about the recent sundays absolute craziness, I thought Id share with you all how this sunday school class is going. Our current three students (Jordan and Lexi who are both Aspergers and Jon who is considered low-functioning ASD) sparatically turned into 4 when a bright eyed 2 yr old name Matt decided to attend. Now you have to understand that, there are only 2 teachers at the current time who are completely comfortable working with these kids, our other volunteer teachers are still not so sure on how to go about it. So between trying to teach them, keeping Jon from running away (he loves to explore!), keeping Jordan and Lexi (brother and sister) from killing each other, and now chasing little Matt we sure do have our work cut out for us! I must say though, despite the absolute nut house that it seems to be, its an absolute blessing! These kids are doing amazing, they are picking up on so many aspects of the bible and God's love, it is just awesome!! Two weeks ago we did a lesson on Jesus washing the disciples feet. The kids made homemade soap and then we talked about ways we could use it to help others. The soap was a big hit and the kids did a great job with it! Well thats enough of my rambling for now, must finish their lessons for this week!

As I am gearing up for Autism Awareness Month, I am reviewing some files I have which some of you might find useful. I have a word search and crossword puzzle which go with my A Is for Autism, F Is for Friend children's book. All of the words are autism related. I also have two coloring sheets which are fun for elementary school kids. Both of those can be easily printed from my website. Go to www.AisForAutism.net and click on LINKS FOR KIDS. They are the top four. Or email me at AisForAutism@roadrunner.com and I'll send the file. I also have a kid-friendly (adult-friendly too) autism awareness document which I can easily email to anyone who is interested. I hand these out when I do presentations for kids. Lastly, I have a word document that I do an email blitz with that is a nice one page autism awareness document detailing three areas (1) general statistics and info on autusm (2) tips for interacting with individuals with autism and (3)wonderful traits of kids with autism. Thought I'd offer stuff I've already created in case anyone can utilize any of it. If anyone else has some cool stuff to share, please share what you have :) Joanna K-V

I just finished watching the end of the show. I DVR'd it and will watch the beginning of it tomorrow. I was in the middle of stripping wall paper, entertaining a 6 year old and chasing two golden retrievers around as they felt they could put my clean laundry away in various rooms while I was stripping wall paper. I only have two days to finish this project as my husband will be home and on Friday and apparently he had a conversation with me that this project would take place during the summer......I must have been in the other room when that conversation took place. But anyways what a great show. A ton of emotions when watching it. I recommend it to all to see if they can rent or buy it if you can.

Hi all! I know all of you are super busy with juggling jobs, daily issues and raising kids and adults on the spectrum, but I thought I'd throw out a media challenge for all of us. What if we each submitted one article or article suggestion or question to a columnist to our local papers or online websites that highlighted something that would bring more awareness to autism during April. My goal throughout the year, but especially in April is to bring attention to the positive qualities that individuals with autism bring to society while also educating classmates and people in the community about the challenges and issues autism presents. If each of us took a small step to type up a quick comment, suggestion or question to our local papers, who knows, we might all get the information out locally. I know many of you already do this, so this may be a mute point, but I have found locally, that a lot of ideas that I submit are taken and utilized by my local community paper. Sometimes the writers are looking for new ideas and if you send in photos they'll print those too. Please don't feel guilted into this, it's just a thought. I submit stuff all the time locally and also shoot for the moon, sending ideas to Oprah, Ellen and Dear Abby to get a broader perspective. My 3 topics that I like to highlight are... (1) the few items that would be helpful to know when interacting with people with autism (sensory issues, visual learners, being direct etc.) (2) ASA Statistics (3) What positive qualities that people with autism generally have (not materialistic, tell the truth, unique ideas, forgiving and challenge us to be more compassionate) So, I'd love to hear if anyone has any other ideas, suggestions or if they have success in getting the word out. When April hits, I also send out a group email detailing a lot of this and I request my friends forward it on. You never know how far these emails get. Joanna K-V :)

Easter Seals is promoting Autism Awareness and raising money. For those who have myspace or facebook Easter Seals has a widget you can put on your page. check it out at www.easterseals.com

... and I am one happy mom! I have been waiting for four years for the day that i would not have to try everything up to and including voodoo to get supplements into my baby! The day has finally come! Rejoice with me o-ye-biomed moms!

Our local Orange County Register today carried an article about a man who is training police departments about individuals with autism. Here is the intro to the article, "Brad Debbaudt was 4 years old when the police were first called to a scene on his account. The autistic child was in a toy store and threw a tantrum so big that an onlooker reported a child abduction. When Brad was safely buckled into his car seat, his father, Dennis, rose to see his car surrounded by police vehicles. "That's what providing care to my son looked like to other people," Dennis Debbaudt said. That incident spurred a new career for the private investigator, a job change motivated by fear for his son's safety. "I drove off wondering: What's going to happen when he's 24 and we're not there for him?" he said. Debbaudt's research has found that autistic people are seven times more likely than others to come into contact with law enforcement officers, because of involuntary behaviors such as wandering off, repetitive movements, poor eye contact and a tendency to talk to themselves. His training teaches officers how to recognize signs of autism, communicate effectively, contain someone without physical force and manage the sensory climate so the person isn't overwhelmed by sirens, flashing lights and other noise." FOLLOWING IS THE ARTICLE LINK: http://www.ocregister.com/articles/autism-people-autistic-2003213-police-officers FOLLOWING IS DENNIS' WEBSITE full of useful information and resources: www.autismriskmanagement.com As a caregiver, in the past, I thought for sure on many occasions I was going to be arrested during meltdown scenarios. Then who cares for the individual with autism? One time, my student and I actually were kicked out of a mall...reason, he tried to eat a french fry off of a bench...he was hungry, it was there, he is unable to communicate verbally. So, he "scared" an employee by eating a french fry nearby her. I even had my I.D. badge on and explained the situation, but we were a threat even though, in reality, there was no threat. Kids with autism do grow up and sometimes are BIG with strange looking hand movements or odd noises. Until society is educated about how autism presents, issues like this will be on the increase. The above information and education is in hopes of our citizens with autism not to get into deadly or dangerous situations caused by lack of education. THOUGHTS?

** Doctor Uses Legos as Autism Therapy ** . < http://www.redorbit.com/news/display/?id=1304696 > Oh how my boy's love Lego's We have been to Legoland twice in San Diego, Ca.

Autism Anthem http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hiQYurSJCQ

I share this not to bemoan my life or to whine… My hope is that many of you will read this and think “YUP, this is my life” or that you will laugh out loud and say “oh yeah I had that week last week…” It is my hope though to at the very least make you laugh. Heck that’s what I do after a week like this!!! What else can you do? My essay is titled: A week in the life OR Is it Friday Yet? Woke up Monday with a splitting headache (possibly because I had to meet with people connected to Andy’s Adult program) and a seriously leaking bathroom sink… I cancel my meeting. I don’t need to deal with them when I am feeling like this. Then to make things a little more interesting, I fell down the cellar stairs. Thankfully I only twisted my ankle and bruised my leg. Later the plumber came and shut down the sink until he could fix it on Tuesday. Monday night, my husband fiddles with the kitchen sink for over an hour. In the process he shot water all over the kitchen, 3 times (the floor around the sink, has never looked so clean) and he broke the faucets!! Now we only have running water in the toilet and the bathtub. Tuesday: I wake up with another headache. I help Andy get ready and then take him to his crappy adult program. (It pains me every time I drop him off) then it’s off to work. After work the plumber came back! HOORAY! He fixed both sinks and we have water again. PHEW! Thankfully since we live upstairs from my Dad (and he owns the house) he covered the expense. As for Andy; the weather was crappy and his mentor is out of town… he is bored out of his skull! Wednesday: I wake up and discover the toilet is running non stop. My husband says he’ll look at it tomorrow when he has the day off. This seems pretty simple, so we are just turning the toilet off and then on at the shut off until this gets settled. Work has been absolutely nuts with 5 new parents (of kids with ASD) calling me this week looking for help and resources. I can’t catch up because we have a very important mailing out to get out. I hate fiddling with mailings when families need me, but this one is time sensitive and other families might loose out if this mailing doesn’t get right out. By noon my head is killing me. I head out at 2:00 to meet Andy at home. The weather continues to be a cold with wind, rain, and some snow… Andy continues to be bored out of his mind and doesn’t want to hear anything from me… Only two more days until Andy’s his mentor Carrie comes back. I cannot wait! Thursday… I wake up at 2:30 a.m., my heart is absolutely pounding from a horrible nightmare where Andy and I were trying to run form a nuclear bomb. (Why can’t I have nice dreams with puppies and kittens? or even better me hitting the lottery?) I know I won’t be going back to sleep anytime soon. Finally though I drift off around 4:00 a.m. I wake at 8:00 and there is my constant companion, my headache. Well at least today is my day off. BIG fun today too because I’m off to the GYN… After my Dr. appt. I decide to go to work because even though it is my day off, I have SO MUCH to catch up on. A few hours later I come home to find that my husband has no idea how to fix the toilet. Time to call the plumber AGAIN. Is that my head pounding? Yes I think so… Andy comes in at 2:45 but we have to run right out to pick up my husband’s work truck from the garage, and I have to run Andy for a haircut. I’m glad to see that Andy is calm and happy. Thank God for small favors. Andy LOVES to see Becky, his cute 30 year old hair dresser who has been giving him buzz cuts for years. Andy walks in the door behind me, but I am not moving fast enough and he is impatient. He decides to push to get around me to get in and he bangs in to a 6 foot tall display of every kind of hair care product you can think of…. Hair spray, mousse, gel and shampoo go flying everywhere. I look up and see the place is packed. Of course everyone is looking at us. And no big surprise, the crashing of the hair care products and seeing Becky has someone else in her chair throws Andy off. Between being excited to see Becky and smacking into the display he is REALLY REVVED UP. My son who just moments ago was so calm and quiet, starts making VERY loud noises and JUMPING across the salon…oh delightful. I see that the women in the other salon chairs and those who are waiting look genuinely terrified. They pull quickly pull their feet in as my 6 feet 2 inches and 290 pounds loud son jumps full force across the 1, 2, 3, times across the room . I make a grab for him while trying to pick up the mess and tell him to “sit down!” I explain that Becky will be with him in a few minutes. Becky, who KNOWS Andy doesn’t do well waiting, has a client in her chair and God only knows when she’ll be done. Andy sits for a few minutes making horribly loud noises and doing his best to look as autistic as possible. He is waving his hand in front of his face while he grunts, growls and tics. SUDDENLY he leaps out of his chair again, and is jumping across the floor. As I get up to grab him again I feel my head pound and think “Oh I am having one big cocktail later!” The 2 woman sitting across from us in the waiting area are doing their best to try to ignore us. I on the other hand try to be light and up beat… “Oh Andy” I say, “why are you so revved up?” while thinking Becky PLEASE HURRY! Of course Andy leaps out of the chair yet again less than a minute later. Once again I grab him again and tell him to please sit down. We got through this scenario 2 or 3 more times, and then finally Becky calls him. She is ready. While Andy gets his hair cut I have 5 minutes to bury my head in Ladies Home Journal. Then he is done; it’s time to head to the little meat market near my home, pick up something for dinner and then head home. My head is still throbbing… In the back of my mind I hear that old commercial “Calgon take me away…” and I think at least tomorrow is Friday!

I have started some groups and would like to invite everyone to check them out. Autism in Tennessee, Hyperlexia and Autism And.

After watching a video about some children pretending to be superhero's my ds has been wearing his superman towel/poncho and pretending he is a superhero!!!! He even acts like he if flying. This is awesome! He has also started riding one of his ride on toys. I have added it to my video's. He is doing it like he has been doing it all his life.

The Special Mother by Erma Bombeck Most women become mothers by accident, some by choice, a few by social pressures and a couple by habit. This year nearly 100,000 women will become mothers of handicapped children. Did you ever wonder how mothers of handicapped children are chosen? Somehow I visualize God hovering over earth selecting his instruments for propagation with great care and deliberation. As He observes, He instructs His angels to make notes in a giant ledger. "Armstrong, Beth; son. Patron saint...give her Gerard. He's used to profanity." "Forrest, Marjorie; daughter. Patron saint, Cecelia." "Rutledge, Carrie; twins. Patron saint Matthew." "Finally He passes a name to an angel and smiles, "Give her a handicapped child." The angel is curious. "Why this one God? She's so happy." "Exactly," smiles God. "Could I give a handicapped child to a mother who does not know laughter? That would be cruel." "But has she patience?" asks the angel. "I don't want her to have too much patience or she will drown in a sea of self-pity and despair. Once the shock and resentment wears off, she'll handle it." "I watched her today. She has that feeling of self and independence that is so rare and so necessary in a mother. You see, the child I'm going to give her has her own world. She has to make her live in her world and that's not going to be easy." "But, Lord, I don't thing she even believes in you." God smiles, "No matter, I can fix that. This one is perfect - she has just enough selfishness." The angel gasps - "Selfishness? Is that a virtue?" God nods. "If she can't separate herself from the child occasionally, she'll never survive. Yes, here is a woman whom I will bless with a child less than perfect. She doesn't realize it yet, but she is to be envied. She will never take for granted a 'spoken word.' She will never consider a 'step' ordinary. When her child says 'Momma' for the first time, she will be present at a miracle, and will know it!" "I will permit her to see clearly the things I see...ignorance, cruelty, prejudice...and allow her to rise above them. She will never be alone. I will be at her side every minute of every day of her life, because she is doing My work as surely as she is here by My side." "And what about her Patron saint?" asks the angel, his pen poised in mid-air. God smiles, "A mirror will suffice."

I was wondering if anyone knew of the guidelines for Kindergarten in NH. Is K mandatory in NH? If so, could I send my son part time and home school the remaining time? I have intentions of asking the school that he presently attends I just wanted to see before bringing the subject up to them. Evan is and has been having a problem with the 5 days a week thing even with it just being 3 hours a day. He is so attached to me and I hate to see him so anxious. Any help is appreciated.

Science Daily just published news of a study indicating that raising a child with autism can be financially devastating to families. The study said: "Some families quoted in the study reported skipping meals to be able to afford therapy for their children. Others talked about robbing their future by depleting savings, emptying their 401K plans, selling stocks and even filing for bankruptcy. More costs are added to some families who need counseling and medication for themselves in order to cope with the stress of raising a child with autism, further straining the family budget." What are some of the other costs of raising a child with autism that you have experienced? The added expense of hiring "trained" personnel for babysitting or respite care. Special equipment, special needs toys, expensive foods for special diets, travel to medical specialists, un-reimbursed medical expenses......What else do you spend money on? How do you save for the future and also provide financially for the current needs of your child? What are parents to do? What do you think?

NO MATTER WHAT PROBLEMS WE MAY ENCOUNTER IN LIFE THERE IS ALWAYS A RAINBOW AT THE END OF OUR JOURNEY.