Seven years ago my only exposure to Autism was meeting Kim Peek, the gentleman who inspired the movie, “Rain Man”.
Or so I thought.
Little did I know that my sweet little eight-year-old boy who had a difficult time interacting with more than one child his age was on the Autism Spectrum. Little did I know that he wasn’t just a picky eater. Little did I know that not only did Autism affect my oldest, but it also was affecting my two other sweet, and very hyperactive little boys.
Fast-forward to today. I now know four of my children are affected with Autism.
They have big hearts and good souls. They have trouble in social situations, but they are trying. I have high expectations for them because I believe they can soar. They do not deserve to be mocked, bullied, shunned or vilified.
Unfortunately we’ve had experience in all of those.
One in 88 children is affected with autism. One in 54 boys is affected. Four of mine are. If your children are fine, be grateful and please give me and my children some patience. We are doing the best we can.
I am momma bear and I am going to fight for my kids and do everything I can to prepare them to face the world. I will be tough when it is called for, and gentle when they need it.
You can help by trying to understand. You can help by spreading the word. You can help by asking questions, and opening dialog. My boys might accidentally offend you. Let’s talk about it and how we might fix the problem. If I don’t know about it, I can’t fix it. You can help by being aware.