Messages like:

People with autism must be getting lots of services and support because everyone is talking about autism.  (Information is great but it is only the first step.)

Individuals with autism must like puzzles, a lot, it is on all their stuff. (Ok yes, my child with autism does but not all do and it is hardly newsworthy enough to put a ribbon on my car about it. There is a bigger message here)

If I “light it up blue” I have done my part to support a family with autism. (Yes it is a nice gesture and we appreciate it but true support comes from being there, lending an ear and a hand and maybe even a child for a play date.)

What I wish could be learned this month is:

Individuals with autism are people. Not super heroes, or gifts from God given only to special parents who can handle them, or drains on society, or second class citizens, or Einsteins. They are people. I think often they are brave people, but then adversity will do that to a person.

What does autism awareness month mean to you? Tell me about it.

Parenting is a roller coaster of emotions.  Autism parenting is a very fast, very high, very intense roller coaster of emotions.  The kind of roller coaster you find in Bush Gardens. The kind I never get on.  But I am riding this one, everyday.  For the most part this ride involves a lot of screaming and holding on for dear life, but there are also times when the roller coaster crests for a minute and I get a chance to breath and feel something else … thankful. This thanksgiving weekend seems like a good time to talk about that emotion. 

I am thankful for my children, all their strengths, quirks, needs, stims, talents, special interests, everything. Every bit that makes them special and makes them mine.

I am thankful for other ASD parents who ride the roller coaster with me and are there to discuss the ride, whether it be over wine or over the internet, they have my undying gratitude. Thank you!

I am thankful for social stories (thank you Carol Grey) and visuals and schedules and power cards and reward charts and all the things that make the lives of the many children I love easier.

I am thankful for the waitress/ store clerk/ flight attendant/ hair dresser/ etc that I randomly cross paths with, who instantly get it and are kind to my children with out being patronizing.  Those people are gems.

I am thankful for ipads, OMG I am so thankful for the ipad. Although I have guilt about the amount of time my child spends on it I value it for its calming and entertainment powers.

I am thankful for the teachers and doctors and other professionals that have come into my children’s’ lives and have been such a tremendous support to them and to me. You know who you are because I would have told you over and over and over. Well I am telling you again, Thank You!

I am thankful for trampolines, puzzles, swings, clothes that have no tags, Dominion’s gluten free section, Rainbow Riders, fidgets toys, Disney, Shakespeare, yoga pants (for both Hayley and I ☺ ) supportive family, deep breathing and wine (that one is all me).

Thank you my lovely blog followers, I am thankful for you. I hope your roller coaster crests long enough this weekend for you to feel thankful too. If not, know that I will be holding tight and screaming along with you.