Since April is Autism Awareness month, we would like to spotlight Autism Speaks.





Many of our own TwilightMOMS have children who are autistic, so now is as good a time as any to find out more about this disorder and how we can help Autism Speaks in their research and support programs.

What is Autism?

"Autism is a complex neurobiological disorder that typically lasts throughout a person's lifetime. It is part of a group of disorders known as autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Today, 1 in 150 individuals is diagnosed with autism, making it more common than pediatric cancer, diabetes, and AIDS combined. It occurs in all racial, ethnic, and social groups and is four times more likely to strike boys than girls. Autism impairs a person's ability to communicate and relate to others. It is also associated with rigid routines and repetitive behaviors, such as obsessively arranging objects or following very specific routines. Symptoms can range from very mild to quite severe. "



"If your child is diagnosed with autism, early intervention is critical to gain maximum benefit from existing therapies. Although parents may have concerns about labeling a toddler as “autistic,” the earlier the diagnosis is made, the earlier interventions can begin. Currently, there are no effective means to prevent autism, no fully effective treatments, and no cure. Research indicates, however, that early intervention in an appropriate educational setting for at least two years during the preschool years can result in significant improvements for many young children with autism spectrum disorders. As soon as autism is diagnosed, early intervention instruction should begin. Effective programs focus on developing communication, social, and cognitive skills. "

What is Autism Speaks?

"At Autism Speaks, our goal is to change the future for all who struggle with autism spectrum disorders.

We are dedicated to funding global biomedical research into the causes, prevention, treatments, and cure for autism; to raising public awareness about autism and its effects on individuals, families, and society; and to bringing hope to all who deal with the hardships of this disorder. We are committed to raising the funds necessary to support these goals."


-qouted from AutismSpeaks.org


How can I help?

-To make a donation and help spread the word, you can shop for items related to Autism Awareness in the Autism Speaks online store HERE.

-Find out how to create a tribute/memorial page dedicated to your loved one to help support Autism Speaks HERE

-Participate in or attend one of their upcoming charity events listed HERE.




-Participate in a Walk Now for Autism walk. More info HERE.

-Keep up-to-date on government affairs related to Autism HERE.






For more information, please visit the Autism Speaks website:

http://www.autismspeaks.org/

Coming soon: One of our own TwilightMOMS gives her personal account of how autism has affected her life.



***Several different circumstances prevented me from getting all this info up sooner so I apologize for not giving this spotlighted charity the justice it deserves for the whole month of April.

_________________

Here is a touching testimonial from one of our own TwilightMOMS, Vampires-R-4Ever. I encourage you all to read it as it touched my heart and not only gave me a closer look inside the life a mother with an autistic child but also increased my sympathy for their struggles and efforts in coping with this disorder.

Quote:

Hi. My name is Heather and I have a child with an ASD(Autism Spectrum Disorder). When I was pregnant with my daughter, I had a wonderful pregnancy, I felt good, I lost weight the first six months, I only gained 15lbs , my labor was long (26hrs)but it was easy. I was laughing with the doctor while I was in active labor. It was crazy. I had my daughter and I was so elated because she was perfect. She had all 10 finger and all 10 toes and everything was where it was supposed to be...I loved her at first sight... During the first year she was great, after 2 weeks she slept all night...She was meeting all her bench marks, she rolled over, crawled, walked, talked just like a baby should. We did notice she didn't like her hands touched, we would try to hold her hands and she would pull them away. She also didn't smile very often, she always looked like she was taking everything in and trying to process it. We didn't think too much of it though. When she was in her second year of preschool, her teacher said she was having trouble with some of her fine motor skills...holding scissors to cut, writing her name, she fell a lot and she wouldn't look at the teacher when she was next to her giving her instructions. I didn't think too much about it at the time. It was just preschool. A couple of months into to kindergarten, her teacher called us in for a conference to talk about her development and that she was struggling with basic skills, she repeated the same issues as the year before, she added my daughter had a hard time making friends, because she didn't know how to talk to the other kids.She thought another child saying "I don't want to play right now" meant, "I don't want to play with you ever".... So she would go sit by herself. Picturing my little girl sitting by herself at school broke my heart. So a couple of days later I took her into her pediatrician and explained what her teachers had said and what their concerns were. Her doctor said she would like to have her tested for Autism. I couldn't believe what she had said. How could she have Autism? It didn't run in our family and she was so healthy. When I got home and told my husband what the doctor had said, I lost it. It took me awhile to stop crying, then I hit the computer to research Autism. I tried to learn everything I could about this. I did see somethings that caught my attention, and sounded like my daughter, but I didn't want to believe it. The things that caught my eye were talk of sensory issues...(she didn't like her hands touched at all and she couldn't stand them dirty...It took us 2 hrs to dye Easter eggs, because every time she got a spot on them we would have to wash them or she would scream, she would also scream if I tried brushing her hair. I would just barely touch the top of her head with the brush and she would scream "It hurts" and try to duck away from the brush) I also noticed issues with changing her routine, she would get very nervous and agitated. and repeating herself(she would ask a question, we would answer, then a few minutes later she would ask the same question. Over and over) We had to go see a neurodevelopmental ped. Then we had to see an Occupational Therapist and a couple other specialists, it was really scary, all I could think about while this was going on was "What did I do wrong to cause my child to have this?". As her mother, how could I fix this? When we finally got the test results back we were told that our daughter has High Functioning Asperger's Syndrome, which is a form of Autism... "Individuals with AS can exhibit a variety of characteristics and the disorder can range from mild to severe. Persons with AS show marked deficiencies in social skills, have difficulties with transitions or changes and prefer sameness. They often have obsessive routines and may be preoccupied with a particular subject of interest. They have a great deal of difficulty reading nonverbal cues (body language) and very often the individual with AS has difficulty determining proper body space. Often overly sensitive to sounds, tastes, smells, and sights, the person with AS may prefer soft clothing, certain foods, and be bothered by sounds or lights no one else seems to hear or see. It's important to remember that the person with AS perceives the world very differently." Which means she has a mild form of an Autism Spectrum Disorder.... The doctor said we didn't cause this, and we couldn't have prevented it. They are not sure what causes Autism, but 1 in 155 kids are being diagnosed with it....That is really scary.... Okay it was time to put on my "game face"(after the tears stopped again). First things first...School... We went back to her teacher with the diagnosis and wanted to know what we could do to help her at school... The teacher helped us get an IEP (Individual Education Plan) started. We worked with specialists at the school to come up with teaching tools to help our daughter learn and excel in school. I learned a lot during this process.The most important thing is...be there...be involved in all the decision making...You are your child's best advocate... . I love my daughter more then anything, so I am going to make sure she gets the best education I can provide... Then we started working with her at home, we took her into social situations and worked with her. We signed her up for T-ball as a way to work on gross motor skill issues...I coached her team, so that I could be hands on with her....She loves to swim, so we got her into swim classes...The more active we kept her the better she seemed to be doing... We had issues of course, we had some screaming and at times lots of tears...Sometimes from me... but we always stayed very consistent... Now she is in the second grade...OME time has gone so quickly....at school she is still on an IEP and will be for awhile, but because of early intervention she is meeting and exceeding goals all the time, I am so proud of her. She has a great support system at school. She also has not missed a day of school in 2 years.... Which is something her dad and I always make a big deal over and she loves it. The biggest struggle is still peer interaction, she says only one girl is her friend and the others don't talk to her. As her mom that hurts me, but I tell her that having one best friend is better than having lots of just okay friends. She still does swimming, and we have decided softball was starting to get too competitive, instead we bike ride for an activity together. This last summer we took her training wheels off her bike, which made me extremely nervous, because she has issues with her balance. When she took off down our street, I cried( I do that a lot ) I was so proud of her. She also just taught herself how to jump rope, it was amazing. This has not been an easy rode and we are so thankful for every blessing we have received. We have a huge family support system. Both sides of our family live right here and are an active part of our children's lives. They have been a great foundation for us to lean on. I have only one sibling, but I have many cousins that I grew up with like brothers and sisters. We are still that close today and their kids and our kids are growing up the same way. My family works with Masonic youth groups and other adult organizations, with that I have been able to take my daughter into social situations, on an individual, state, and international level. This has helped her so very much, because she is always going places with me and having to talk to different people. The one comment I hear a lot is how smart she is and her vocabulary is incredible. She makes me laugh because she is only 7yrs old and she will say things like " Subsequently, I would agree with you" or "That is phenomenal". My husband's family gives us stability also, he has many brothers and sisters and they are wonderful with our kids. From both sides we also have a wonderful spiritual foundation....As I said we are very blessed. I worry about her future, and what lies ahead of her, and the trials she will have to face. We try to make each day a learning experience for her and we give her all the support we can in whatever she wants to do. She is amazing and I Love her so very much....She is my daughter....and I am proud to be her mom....She is a blessing in my life....

Thank you, Heather! It sounds like you are doing an AMAZING job with you daughter!!

_________________

You are so inspiring!!

_________________
"I have to step out for a second...Don't do anything funny while I'm gone." - Emmett
Click Here for Spam Thread

Thanks Heather. As a mother of an autistic son, I can relate with you, sympathize with you, and celebrate with you. It is funny in our home what is a cause for celebration. I appreciate you sharing you story. It is nice having someone know my feelings as worries as a mother of an autistic child. Good luck to you and your daughter.

_________________

Thanks M&M its nice to have other mothers to talk to who understands what you are going through...Tonight is an "off" night for us...My hubby is working late, and it is messing with her routine...She knows daddy is home from work about 20minutes after she gets home from school. Tonight he won't be home until after bedtime and she is very worried and askes about every 5min when daddy is going to be home. Then she goes to look out the window and gets teary...
I wish the best for you and your son. If you ever need to chat PM me I would love to hear from you.
Heather

_________________

I so enjoyed meeting you this week and so enjoyed your article above. Be sure and keep in tough and hopefully we can join forces again next year when they film New Moon!!!! We can dream........can't we!!

Talk to you soon!
Bella Marie

_________________
Very mature...Edward!

Heather, I am so excited to hear your story and your successes with your daughter that is amazing!

We should get together sometime, when I'm in Milwaukie at my parents house. I too have a child on the Autism Spectrum. My daughter has Rett Syndrome. She is high functioning in some areas and severely affected in other areas. She started out in the early intervention program in North Clackamas and was in the SLA class (Structured Learning Academic) at Riverside Elementary. We now live in Estacada and have had our battles with the school district out here, but everything is going well now.

Love to chat with you some more about this.
Robyn

_________________


www.myspace.com/mitchhansenband

Another way to donate to Autism speaks, that doesn't cost you a dime is to view the videos under the Autism Speaks Charity on this website. The donations are given, based on the views of the videos listed under that charity. WARNING- get kleenex, because the videos are heartbreaking.

I was asked last week to write up something about how Autism has affected our life. I want to start off by Thanking TM's for picking this charity, to be their first Charity of The Month.

I will try to keep this short. My son was always been different, but it was nothing I could just pick out. He hit every milestone(except talking) he is very loving. My sister mentioned Autism to me when he was around 2, I just blew her off- he didn't have autism. I had the warped view of a "rocking" child, meant autism. Well he didn't rock, so it wasn't autism.

He turned two, and wasn't talking- he could, but he wouldn't. He also behaved a lot like a toddler- which at the time, wasn't abnormal. So we enrolled him in an EC center, after one year he did not improve. They referred me to our local school system. He was accepted into their PPCD class, after the first year- he amazed us all. He was talking above his age(3) and reading on a kindergarten level. His behavior was still a problem, but they assured me he would out grow it.

3 years later we received the diagnosis of PDD-NOS- If I had not pushed for testing, because I believed he had Aspergers- he would have been mis diagnosed as borderline ADHD.
PDD- NOS basically means he is on the spectrum, but fits into more than one category, but doesn't fit directly into a category.

We are now stuck in a schedule, if we get off of the schedule then our day is pretty much blown. We have visual aids(basically charts that he can control, they show him what he is suppose to be doing) and social stories(stories about him, that will help him socialize). We have also been bombarded with do this this and this, and your son will recover information. Then Doctors who completely disagree and tell you ABA therapy and some medications can HELP your child, but nothing is certain.

Then you have adults on the spectrum- who say nothing is wrong with them, this is just evolution. They don't want you to give your children drugs, but to help society accept them for who they are- these stories are very hard to read.

You want to know why, but no one can give you a reason. You feel guilty, for something you cant control. Am I making the right choices, should I have tried the diet?????

The hardest parts for me are- seeing him not enjoying activities kids love, we tried a parade recently, he cried and covered his ears the whole time. Seeing what my other children go through having a brother on the spectrum. I feel like I am cheating them out of their childhood. The younger one is still to little to understand, but the oldest one sees the problems it causes.
She knows she can not have friends over because of her brother. She knows sometimes, we cant go places she wants to because he is having an off day. She knows he is punished differently, for hitting her- than if I punish her for hitting him. Sometimes, she has to be a second mom to her sister because I am busy trying to control a melt down. Because of his behavior she knows her friends don't want to play, if he is around. She is a great sister, she tries to include him in everything, but some days she just doesn't want him around. Hearing your child pray for a normal brother is heartbreaking.
As a mother, the one thing I wanted to do was let my children, be children and enjoy their childhood. I feel like I have failed them, but I know it was not my fault.

- We have a few problems that come from his stimming or behavior. Instead of "rocking" my son is a crasher, he slams his body into everything- which usually equals holes in the walls or broken windows. He also likes to jump- which is easy to control usually. He likes to chew everything, before he would eat his clothes, now he has chew toys designed for him.

_________________
"Throw it out the window"- Jacob

Thank you guys so much for sharing your stories.

_________________

Quote:

The hardest parts for me are- seeing him not enjoying activities kids love, we tried a parade recently, he cried and covered his ears the whole time. Seeing what my other children go through having a brother on the spectrum

Pixie...
I am there with yoiu, we went to Disneyland and Universal studio's last summer and that was hard...We went to Universal the first day and by mid morning I had to take her up to the shopping area beacause trying to go on rides and do character meet and greets was not going to happen...I even took earplugs for her to wear on the rides. My hubby had to take our boys on the rides by himself... I was sad that we could not do that together. By the end of the day when we went back to our hotel, I told my hubby that the next day I had to keep her at the hotel and give her a calm down day if I wanted her to make it through Disneyland....
So the next day he took the boys to Magic Mountain and I stayed with her, we swam and did alittle shopping...
When we went to Disneyland she was okay with most of the characters, as long as they stayed at a distance...Riding the rides was another story...We would put her earplugs in just as we were getting on the ride and I had her ride with her dad thinking that might help...No Such Luck.... She would cry and scream the whole way through...That was hard on me,beacuse I knew she was not having fun, and I wanted the rest of my family to have a good time...It was vacation...By the time we got home a week later I was so glad vacation was over...
There are places my youngest wants to go around town, that we cant go beacuse my daughter won't go. We have explained it to him and most of the time he is pretty okay with her...but he to has his moments when he wants her to be "normal" and that breaks my heart...

_________________

All your stories are so touching!! Keep them coming!

Anyone out there that has a child with autism - here is your stage! Your stories help others have hope.

_________________

Thank you for your stories, Ladies! You are all courageous and inspiring, and I appreciate you sharing your experiences with us. I've learned so much about Autism from you all!

_________________

Quote:

We have a few problems that come from his stimming or behavior. Instead of "rocking" my son is a crasher, he slams his body into everything- which usually equals holes in the walls or broken windows. He also likes to jump- which is easy to control usually. He likes to chew everything, before he would eat his clothes, now he has chew toys designed for him.

I have a Jumper too! (the mini trampoline is the best hand me down we have ever gotten) My son likes to bang his head on things.

_________________
"I have to step out for a second...Don't do anything funny while I'm gone." - Emmett
Click Here for Spam Thread

Wow! I'm so glad I took the time to read this thread. Thank you for sharing your stories.

You ladies are such an inspiration!!!

_________________


Attention all Utah TMs!! Wanna be on our mailing list? Click here for more info!

I kind of feel like a jerk for not posting here until now. :[

My son has autism. He was diagnosed at close to 3 years in age. He is considered very high functioning.

Sometimes, I'm not sure what to say, or what stories to tell. Partly because there are so many of them, and partly because I feel like I am so lucky in so many ways (I'm not sure why that blocks me, but it does for some reason). My son is the most beautiful, most mysterious, most loving person I have ever known. It's almost as if the diagnosis is incidental, like having brown, curly hair and hazel eyes (he has both).

Anyway, I just wanted to post/reply here and let you ladies know that I truly appreciate the stories that you have shared, the experiences that you have had and the bravery that you have.

These children are amazing, they are a gift.

_________________

Images used with permission from Amy Howe