I'm Ready For My Close Up

Handmade Cuteness

I know the pic is blurry, but the the crocheted jacket Kendall is wearing is SOOOO CUTE, courtesy of her Aunt Gale.

Trevor at the Zoo

HAPPY 2nd BIRTHDAY KENDALL!!

Easter Week/Weekend

On Autism Awareness Month....

This post is taken from the ANGRYBLACKBITCH blog.

My older brother is autistic.

His name is Bill.

He’s aphasic, so he doesn’t speak in sentences or all that often…and he’s a charmer, loves to eat sometimes foods all the time and is a master of the barbeque grill (with supervision…lots and lots of supervision).

Growing up with autism in my world has taught me a lot about communication…about the power of sound, the meaning behind high pitched wails or low rumbling laughter.

Autism has taught me the precious value of a hug or a kiss…of eye contact or a quick glance…of a tickle and the giggles it inspires.

I have lived my entire life with autism.

For me and mine, autism is…it just is. Sometimes it’s a pain in the ass and sometimes it is the most amazing thing, but autism is a constant thing not limited to months or years or days when walks take place.

Autism Awareness Month often brings with it a lot of stories about autistic children. I understand why, because so much rides on early diagnosis and therapies and education. But my brother is 39 years old…he’ll be 40 this July (Lawd, have mercy!)…and not enough attention is given to autism after a child with autism becomes an adult with autism.

So, be aware…that my brother’s life isn’t wretched or sad. My sister and I work very hard to make sure that it isn’t.

Bill is not a cure that didn’t happen or a diagnosis…he’s a human being, who gets up every day and goes about his bitness.

Some days are good.

Some days are not so good.

I could say the same about my life.

Be aware…that autistic children will become autistic adults. A body doesn’t grow out of autism. That is not an argument against advocacy for autistic children…but rather a challenge to advocates to extend our work beyond programs for children.

Be aware…that there is a strain on loved ones and that not all of us are parents. I am my brother’s co-guardian and, as such, I often find myself wading through the world of programs and funding…of Medicaid and the Department of Mental Health…of wants versus needs. My sister and I balance our role as sisters with our role as guardians…and we are not the only ones doing it. Families need to plan for a life, not just a childhood…they need support and education on how the system works once a child becomes an adult.

Be aware…that our lives are a different kind of normal.

I grew up knowing that eventually my sister and I would have to take on a guardianship of some sort. I confess that I used to fret about it…I watched my mother become consumed by advocacy and the search for a cure and I worried that I’d never be able to be a sister for all the demands of being my brother’s advocate.

But be aware that my different kind of normal is a life full of happiness and bitchitude and laughter and tears. We have challenges and set backs and achievements and victories.

More often than not, we share a meal…catch up on what’s new…and communicate with each other in a way I never dreamed was possible until it simply was.

Not a life of regrets and guilt, but a life where sometimes my brother gets on my last nerve…and that’s okay, because all brothers can work a nerve.

Sometimes I worry about my brother’s future and happiness…and that’s okay, because people who love each other want the best for each other and sometimes fret over shit like that.

April is Autism Awareness Month…a month out of a year in the lives of millions.

Be aware.

Organize.

Share.

Love.

Act.

Live.

This I write for my brother Bill, lover of sometimes foods all the time, who I love beyond measure even when he works my last nerve.

April is National Autism Awareness Month

According to the Centers for Disease Control, autism spectrum disorders now affect 1 in 110 children. Autism is more common than juvenile diabetes, childhood cancer and AIDS combined.

What is autism?
Autism is a neurologically-based developmental disability that affects the way a child’s brain develops and results in differences in the way that a child communicates, behaves, and socializes.
What does it mean that autism is a "spectrum" disorder?
In a spectrum disorder, symptoms and characteristics present themselves in a wide variety of combinations, from mild to severe and in any combination.

What is Asperger's disorder?

In layman's terms, Asperger's is a disorder on the autism spectrum. Individuals with Asperger's disorder are often considered mildly affected by autism in the sense that there are no significant language and cognitive delays. Persons with Asperger's experience impairments in social interactions and restriction in activities.

What are the signs of autism?

Parents, teachers and medical professionals may look for these behaviors:

• not responding to name;
  
• doesn't point to wave goodbye;
  
• used to say a few words, but now doesn't;
  
• intense tantrums;
  
• odd movement (twirling, flapping, rocking);
  
• poor eye contact;
  
• unusual attachment to objects or schedules;
  
• lining up items in a certain order.
  Having one or more of these signs indicates the need for a developmental screening.

When should a child be evaluated for autism?
Most pediatricians perform a developmental screening at well-child visits during the preschool years. These screenings allow the doctor to monitor the child’s development and to look for any red flags. If the doctor has reason for concern, he/she will refer the family to a specialist for an evaluation.