Rachel L. MacAulay

We Salute You, Officer Purdy

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In March, we profiled a police officer in Waukesha, Minnesota, who reacted appropriately and compassionately when he realized that the teenager who was “getting physical” in a local Target store had autism. Police departments from Minnesota to New Jersey and throughout the U.S. are being trained to become better educated on mental health issues, disabilities, and autism, helping them better respond to situations involving people with special needs.

Officer Purdy - Source Charlotte-Mecklenburg PD

Just this past weekend, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department in North Carolina posted a photo to its Facebook page showing an officer sitting down in a parking lot to talk to a teenager who was also sitting on the ground. The social media post explained that the policeman, Officer Tim Purdy, had been sent on a call involving a young student from a local high school. The boy, who has autism, had walked out of school and was believed to be suicidal. He had also displayed violent behaviors in the past, so the officers needed to be on alert.

When Officer Purdy, who has been named his department’s Officer of the Month in the past, saw the high schooler sitting on the ground, he sat down next to him. This put him on the student’s level instead of standing over him, threateningly. He talked to the young man, and even had him laughing at one point, establishing a sense of friendship and trust. This connection between the two then allowed the policemen to get the high schooler the help he needed.

As always, we’d like to see these type of stories become commonplace and not make the news because of their rarity. Until they are, however, we’ll keep sharing them so that other police departments, and people in general, catch on. Respond with caring and compassion, not force.

Rachel L. MacAulay

This 6-Year-Old Boy Reads to Shelter Dogs

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There have been news stories about kids practicing and honing their reading skills by reading to dogs. They are, after all, a pretty non-judgmental audience. There have also been news stories about kids reading to shelter dogs to help both socialize the dogs and keep them calm and relaxed in the stressful environment of a noisy kennel. We love all of these stories, but our favorite kid reading to shelter dogs is this one.

Every Thursday afternoon at Carson Animal Shelter in Los Angeles County, a 6-year-old boy comes in with a mat and a picture book and patiently reads to a pitbull named Pirate. The kennels are noisy, as the dogs no doubt vie for the attention of any human that comes by, but that doesn’t deter Jacob Tumalan. Although his reading isn’t perfect, he perseveres even through all the noise.

Jacob was diagnosed with autism when he was just 2 years old, after he lost many of his verbal skills. His aunt, Lisa Ferranti, and her daughter Lindsey volunteer at the animal shelter, where Lindsey started the reading program, “Rescue Readers.” About a year ago, they brought Jacob with them and noticed the bond he seemed to share with the animals.

“Jacob is so calming,” his aunt told NBC Los Angeles. “He walks through and he’s not yelling or banging on the cages. He comes with a book and his mat and sets it up, and the dogs just listen.”

Jacob’s mom, Katherine Tumalan, noted that Jacob has always liked books but struggled to read. After reading to the dogs for six months, he now reads at a third-grade reading level. And the relationship isn’t only one-sided: “If I read to the dogs they will come out of their cages and find homes,” Jacob said. “They have to find new homes because they are alone.”

Like Jacob, many of the animals simply need a little patience and love.

AutismAwareness.com

What Mother’s Day means to me…

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— A guest post by Annie Ayoub, an Autism mom

This picture was taken almost 2 years ago, and I treasure it, because it was really the last time that my two children really bonded together, and one of the few moments they really ever played with each other at all. Not because they hate each other, but because my son has Autism, and with Joseph getting older, and going through puberty, he has become more physically aggressive to his sister and others!

On many occasions my daughter has said to me, “I wish my brother was a regular kid, so I know what it feels like to have a sibling”. I try to explain to her that it is a very tough time for her brother right now, but he loves her very much, and even though he does not show it, just give him some time and one day you will see it again…..

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So Mother’s Day to me does not mean flowers, gifts or expensive jewelry. None of that really matters.

It’s the family bond, the love you see between siblings, and knowing how tough it is for my daughter to have always been the “big sister” per se. For many years, I have explained to her that she is an inspiration to so many others as young as she is, and she will grow up to be so much more empathetic and appreciative to others, because of her experiences.

As a special-needs mom, I tell all the moms out there who have “typical” children… enjoy watching them playing ball outside, board games, riding bikes together, or even teasing and fighting with each other, because I never really experienced those things with my kids. I look back at this picture and reminisce, but truly believe in my heart that one day, down the road, that bond that once was between the two of them, even though they didn’t really play much with each other will be back….

So in life, I always appreciate what I have, because I know there is someone out there that has it worse, so folks, just think about it the next time you see your children playing or fighting together, just enjoy every moment of it, because some may never get the opportunity to see and experience just that….

Happy Mother’s Day to all the Great Moms out there and God bless!!❤️💐

Angela Conrad

To Autism Moms on Mother’s Day

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Mothers Day

I remember my first Mother’s Day when I was pregnant with Trenton, my oldest son with severe autism. I had dreams that one day he would make me a homemade card and tell me how I am the best mother in the world. I envisioned him being a young man one day treating his Momma like royalty on Mother’s Day. You know, all those things that moms like to hear and get from their children.

I’m not sure any of that will ever happen with him. However, it doesn’t make Mother’s Day any less special. Even though my motherhood experience turned out much different than what I thought, it doesn’t make me any less of a mother. In fact, it makes me that much better of a mom.

Autism moms are special. We go on the least amount of sleep daily and still battle all of the challenges autism brings to our home daily. I am sure if anyone asks an autism mom what they want for Mother’s Day, many of them would say a nap.

Autism moms know the pain of seeing their child struggle to make friends and to fit in.

Autism moms are more than just mothers.

Mommy PhotoWe are advocates, educators, cheerleaders, therapists, warriors, and much more. Most of the time we are battling our roles in life while losing friends and struggling ourselves to find where we fit in because autism has totally changed our life.

Autism moms and special needs mothers in general may just be the hardest-working mothers in this world. Yet, we are raising children who are unable to show us their appreciation. I am here to tell you that, even if your children can’t express it, I know they love us and appreciate everything we do for them.

If you are like me, Mother’s Day will be no different than any other normal day. I will still be up by 3 a.m. to start our day. I will battle a meltdown or two because he is unable to tell me what he wants. I will struggle with his hyperactivity and impulsive behavior every minute of the day and it will leave me completely exhausted by 8 a.m. I will watch his repetitive behaviors all day long. I will answer the same question over and over from my high-functioning child. I will keep on managing autism like I do every day.

While the world sees the glamorous side of Mother’s Day on TV and everywhere else you turn, we know all too well that many mothers don’t get to enjoy that side. I am very blessed to be a mother and to share this day honoring all the hard-working mothers in the world. However, it still doesn’t mean that it doesn’t hurt even if it’s just a little bit.

So, to all the autism moms out there this Mother’s Day, hold your head high. We have been given one of the most difficult task that a mother can be given. We may not hear our child say, “Happy Mother’s Day,” ever. We may not get the luxury of sleeping in and waking up to a breakfast made by our children. However, we are a member of the strongest group of women this day and age. We are Autism Moms.

Happy Mother’s Day!

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Angela and her family reside in Terre Haute, Indiana, where they moved to get more help for her son with severe autism. She was born and raised in a small town in southern Illinois where her love for animals and helping others blossomed.

She enjoys sharing the honest and real side of autism through her writing. Her writing may not apply to every family with a child with autism, but it is sure to apply to the families raising children on the severe end of the spectrum.

Read more of Angela’s journey on her website or Facebook page.

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Would you like to contribute to AutismAwareness.com?

Please send an email to contribute@autismawareness.com or check out our submission guidelines here.

AutismAwareness.com

Speechless with Carly Fleischmann and Channing Tatum

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Carly Fleischmann was diagnosed with Autism as long as she can remember but that has never stopped her from moving forward. Her story has been featured on ABC, CNN and just about everywhere. She has co-authored a book “Carly’s Voice”, developed a website “Carly’s Cafe” and made headlines when, at age eleven, she started to communicate by computer. Her story is nothing short of amazing. Words like “inspirational” are tagged alongside her name to millions of people around the world.

In 2014 it was reported that Carly loss some language skills from a response to electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) and people have wondered how she is. Today, Carly is back and launched “Speechless with Carly Fleischmann”, as the first non-verbal talk show. Her first interview is with Channing Tatum!

We love you Carly!

Rachel L. MacAulay

‘One of Many’ Truck Helps Drive Autism Awareness

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Autism Truck "One of Many"

If you were in Wildwood, Florida, this past weekend for 75 Chrome Shop’s annual truck show, you wouldn’t have been able to miss this Ausome® “One of Many” truck. One of our readers sent us the video below, which clearly shows the truck’s many custom-built items depicting the popular Autism puzzle pieces. This beautiful big rig has been spreading Autism Awareness every time it hits the road.

The truck is the brainchild of Mike Manuel of Michael A. Manuel Trucking in Front Royal, Virginia. Mike enjoys building show trucks, and this, his fourth one, was inspired by his daughter, Kara. The idea of a truck dedicated to autism awareness came to Mike a few years ago, and he began talking to companies and gathering sponsorships while attending various shows.

When the truck was ready to be built, Manuel Trucking still had sponsorships available and Brandon Key of Rush Peterbilt, jumped onboard. His daughter, Maggie, also has autism, and he and Mike shared stories about their daughters as the truck was taking shape. The names of both girls are on the truck, along with the various logos and names of the people and businesses that helped make the truck become a reality.

While there is no set schedule for the One of Many truck, it did make a recent visit to a middle school in Winchester, Virginia, where 20 of the students are on the autism spectrum. It also appeared in the parade around Bristol Speedway before the Fitzgerald Glider Kits 300 race on April 16. The next big show you can see the truck is at Fitzgerald Glider Kits in Crossville, Tennessee, in July.

A Manuel Trucking company representative was careful to stress that they and the truck weren’t “affiliated with any one charity foundation.” Instead, they “want to be able to bring it or show it wherever to help out any and all charities donating to the [autism] cause.”

Honk if you’re a fan. We know we are.

Rachel L. MacAulay

‘Quiet Hour’ to Benefit Shoppers With Special Needs

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ASDA Living

A store manager in the U.K. recently decided to roll out a “quiet hour” at his ASDA Living store to benefit people with autism and other special needs. Simon Lea was moved to implement this new concept after witnessing a boy having what appeared to be a tantrum in the store a few weeks ago. Simon said the child was screaming and kicking and carrying on loudly, and the child’s mom, who looked “drained,” told him that her son has autism and was having a meltdown. Simon, who has two kids of his own, gave the boy a toy football to play with, which helped calm him down and enabled his mom to finish shopping.

Afterward, Simon was still considering the situation and wondering what he could do to help out customers with special needs. He talked to an employee who has a child with autism and to customers themselves, and came up with the idea of the quiet hour–a time when the escalators stop running and both the TV displays and the in-store music will be silenced. Additionally, there will be no use of the store-wide announcement system. Although the store may still have colorful displays of products, the overwhelming sounds will no longer be an issue during that one hour.

Simon is especially empathetic because he suffered from anxiety for years. “I used to absolutely hate going into busy stores,” he explained to the Manchester Evening News. Furthermore, he’s learned to judge less, saying, “Six months ago I would have said ‘control your child’ even though I’ve got children. But speaking to people with autism and disabled people has helped me think about how I can make it a better place to shop.”

The first quiet hour will be held on Saturday, May 7, at 8 a.m. The ASDA Living store is located in Cheetham Hill, Manchester.

Christie Macdonald

These Are the Moments

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These Are The Moments

Running around this morning, I was trying to get myself ready for work, and my kids ready for school. Mia wasn’t getting up and, after calling down to her multiple times, I knew I was going to have to go down and get her out of bed myself. Before I even made it to her room, I could feel my frustration level rising.

It was nothing she had done; it was just one of those days.

And, while I normally have the patience to handle what I knew to be coming, today I felt tapped out. On top of having ADHD and Autism, my daughter has ODD (Oppositional Defiant Disorder). For those of you who have a child with ODD, you know that it’s a real treat. You almost can’t understand the apparent absurdity of it until you’ve witnessed it firsthand.

I‘ve come to realize that every morning my daughter’s first words will be “No,” or some semblance of that. All mornings start the same:

“Good morning sunshine! Ready to get up? ” No.

“Time to get up babe, Breakfast is ready.” No it isn’t.

“Hey Mia, look out your window! It snowed last night!” No it didn’t.

“What a nice day! You’re going to have fun playing outside!” No I won’t.

“Let’s get up and get ready! You have swimming lessons tonight!” No I don’t.

And on, and on, and on.

When my husband takes his turn and I hear him say, “Alright, let’s go. Time to get up!” I catch myself in the next room thinking, “No it isn’t.” I know it’s not her fault. She can’t control this. She has barely opened her eyes or woken out of sleep, and regardless of the circumstance, it’s her first response. Understanding that this is part of her genetic makeup (Who wants to say no all the time?), this part of my morning usually gives me perspective, a dose of patience, and a sense of protectiveness, and acts as an early-morning reminder of what this little girl has to deal with.

As predicted, we went through the same song and dance this morning. She said no, I lifted her little 8-year-old self out of bed, she put up a fuss, and then eventually we started the school morning routine. Only this morning I didn’t feel that patience; I couldn’t find the perspective. I felt frustrated. Please God, just one school morning. Why can’t she just get up and be happy? As someone who doesn’t hide their emotions well—a blessing and a curse if you ask my husband—I stayed quiet. I have learned that there’s no point in getting upset. I bit my tongue, said my silent prayers (pleas), and started through the motions of the morning.

Today, because she decided that she was going to wear a dress that she can’t get into without assistance, I was quietly kneeling down in front of her, doing up the buttons on the front of her dress when I felt it. Two little arms wrap around me, followed by a kiss on my neck. As affectionate as Mia can be, she has never kissed me on the neck. In that moment, processing all at once how much I love her, how sweet her intentions were, how extremely innocent she is, and fighting the guilt I had for being frustrated—she told me she loved me, thanked me for helping her get ready, and hugged me again. With that, she skipped out of the room, ready to start her day.

These are the moments: the moments that make the hardest of days manageable, the moments that make me so thankful that Mia is my daughter and that I’m the one that God chose to deal with all of the perceived absurdity and to help her navigate the challenges that are yet to come. These are the moments where what I stress about is put into perspective and I stop to appreciate the true joys that come with raising a child with special needs. It’s not always a kiss. It’s when she says she’s sorry for something that I know she can’t help, when she runs to me after school as if she hasn’t seen me in ages, when she looks at me desperately during a basketball tryout because she hadn’t realized there was so much running involved, and yes—sometimes it’s when I get a kiss on the neck, at that very same moment when I’m feeling like I’m not enough.

I don’t know what tomorrow holds, but as for today… I’m thankful for the moments—every single one of them.

Angela Conrad

The Hardest Part

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Angela Conrad sons2I have been asked before, “What is the hardest part of having a child with autism?”

Honestly, when I am asked this question, I don’t know what to say because there isn’t just one area that is the hardest. How could I choose when everything about severe autism is challenging and hard?

Is it battling the daily meltdowns because he is unable to communicate to me what he wants? This area is extremely difficult. I know what it feels like to not be able to figure out what he wants, so I can’t even begin to imagine what Trenton feels like not being able to communicate to me.

Is it battling severe sleep deprivation on a daily basis? Sleep deprivation is pure torture. Even though my child doesn’t require the amount of sleep that an average person should require, I sure do. It is torture to have to go day to day on only a few hours of sleep.

Is it knowing that your child will, more than likely, never be able to live on his own? This haunts me every day! It is never out of my mind… NEVER!

Is it the judgment and lack of empathy from the public? I’ve received the looks from the general public while trying to take Trenton out. They don’t understand why a perfectly normal-looking child is behaving the way he does. It sure doesn’t make the stress any easier on me.

Is it the sensory problems that accompany my children or the inability of Trenton to be able to eat anything other than 5 certain food items? It is beyond difficult managing Trenton’s daily sensory problems and food problems. On some days, Trenton needs a lot of input and pressure on his body. On other days, he needs to swing a lot.

Is it the stress of trying to keep my child safe because he is an eloper and will escape and never look back the second that he gets away? Raising a child who is unable to understand danger is very stressful. The older he gets, the harder it is to keep him safe from running away.

Is it the stress of potty training for one straight year now and being no closer to achieving that goal than we were 6 months ago? He goes from smearing his feces to urinating on my carpet. When will he get potty trained??

Is it their obsessions and how Andrew verbally expresses everything to people? My child with mild autism does not have a filter and he has said some of the least appropriate things to people before.  His lack of being able to communicate and socialize properly is very evident through his obsessions, and conversations that he has with people about his obsessions.

Is it simply trying to get people to understand that, even though both of my children have autism, they are on the opposite ends of the spectrum? Therefore, their challenges are completely different and you can’t compare them.

Is it the stress of losing family members, a marriage, and friends? All three have happened to me and I know they have happened to you too. It is hard to get everyone to understand autism because some autism just simply “looks” too normal, and many people think that you are just exaggerating because they have never seen your child do what you say he does. Oh the stress…it never ends, does it!

Is it dealing with the change in a routine?  To be truthful, this is very devastating and can make or break their day, week, or even month when a change occurs in their daily schedule.

My list could go on and on. As you can see, it is hard to answer that question.  Autism comes with many challenges. The challenges do not only affect the person with autism, but it also affects the whole entire family.

So, the next time I get asked, “What’s the hardest part of raising a child with autism?” I believe I just may say, “All of it.”

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Angela and her family reside in Terre Haute, Indiana, where they moved to get more help for her son with severe autism. She was born and raised in a small town in southern Illinois where her love for animals and helping others blossomed.

She enjoys sharing the honest and real side of autism through her writing. Her writing may not apply to every family with a child with autism, but it is sure to apply to the families raising children on the severe end of the spectrum.

To read more of Angela’s journey please visit her website or like her Facebook page.

Kate Hooven

Baseball Game Hits a Home Run for Autism Awareness

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We asked Awenesty of Autism blog writer Kate Hooven to write an introduction for this local news video showcasing a local baseball game that she organized for Autism Awareness Day. It was a memorable day for her as, besides spreading awareness, she also got to watch both of her sons participating.

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Ever since he can remember, Ryan was dragged from ball field to ball field to attend his big brother Kyle’s baseball games. For a kid who’s not a fan of bugs, heat, wind, rain or cold, he endured a lot to support his big brother. During many games, Ryan sat in the car because it was too cold, too windy, too bright, too hot or too buggy, but when Kyle would step up to the plate, Ryan’s voice would carry across the baseball diamond as he popped his head out of the van’s sun roof and cheered for his brother. Ryan has always been Kyle’s No. 1 fan.

To have the tables turn on a cool, windy spring day, and hear Kyle’s voice drift across the infield cheering on Ryan, was a beautiful turn of events. It was the CV Eagles first-ever Autism Awareness Baseball Game and Kyle was crouched down behind home plate waiting for his little brother Ryan to step up on the mound and throw out the ceremonial first pitch. From where I stood along the first-base line, I could see Kyle’s smile, his pride and his admiration for his little brother— Kyle has never seen him as his autistic brother, only as his brother.

On that cold, windy day, Ryan said happily, “I felt like I had fans for the first time ever today.” Little does Ryan know that, although there were many fans over the years sitting in the stands, cheering on his big brother as Kyle made diving catches, turned two and ripped the ball down the left-field line, Ryan has always had a fan on and off the ball field who cheers for him louder than anyone.

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Kate and her family have lived in Mechanicsburg, PA, for the past 20 years. When Kate is not busy advocating “different, not less,” she enjoys reading, binging on Netflix and spending time with her family and friends.

Kate HoovenIn addition to her advocacy service and her blog, Kate is also a Justice System Consultant for PA’s ASERT (Autism Services, Education, Resources and Training) Collaborative. With her prior experience working in PA’s Juvenile Justice System and her passion for advocating for children and adults living with autism, Kate enjoys her time training probation officers, police officers, attorneys, judges, correctional officers and others employed in the justice system in order to raise awareness of the impact an autism diagnosis has on those that become involved in our juvenile and criminal justice systems.

Kate hopes that, through her writing, she is sharing a real, raw and AWEnest look at how autism impacts her family, and in doing so, she may help other parents recognize that they are not alone on this autism journey. Her stories and photos are shared with permission from her incredibly AWEsome son, Ryan, who also wants people to believe that even though he is “different,” he is not ever “less.”

To read more from Kate, follow her on Facebook or visit The AWEnesty of Autism website today.