National Autism Awareness Month

April 2 is National Autism Awareness Day, and for all of April, autism gets the spotlight. Blogs, legislation, books, movies, TV shows, and online discussions will take place to raise awareness of this increasingly common spectrum disorder.

Family Life Network, my local Christian radio station, aired an interview today with Dr. Laura Hendrickson, author of Finding your Child's Way on the Autism Spectrum In her book, Dr. Hendrickson discusses her journey to wholeness and healing for her autistic son.

Here is a blurb: "The Bible tells us that God personally designed each of us and has a plan for our lives that is for our good. Autism is not some kind of mistake that happens outside of His sovereign control. Dr. Laura has raised an autism spectrum child, now recovered from autism, to adulthood. She knows both the sorrow of receiving the diagnosis of autism and the joy of watching him grow in his abilities, and in his faith. This book will help you to apply biblical principles to the management of behavior issues, and will also encourage you to look to God in faith that He is doing something good in your life and that of your child."


You can order this book at: http://www.drlaurahendrickson.com/Laura_s_Books.html

I am thankful for the many voices creating awareness. Are you more aware of autism than you were a year ago? I know I am. And I will be wearing blue to honor autism awareness day. Hope you will, too.

Felix the Therapy Cat

I have a cat. Not just any cat. This cat was the one we kept from a litter of six kittens born in my husband's closet the year we moved to our old farmhouse. This little boy-kitty had some distinct features that endeared all of us right away. Big, blue-green eyes, white stockings and chest and a white mustache on his otherwise black short fur--he was not the prettiest in the litter. That distinction would go to his Siamese-looking sibling, or his white, long-haired brother, or the white and tabby-spotted long-haired sister. They all found homes, but Felix stayed. Natural selection? Survival of the fittest? Hardly. More like last one picked, sticked. My husband relented and allowed him to stay.

Felix was possessed of a strong sense of himself from the start. A loud, sibilant cry announced his arrival or particular need, usually for food or a warm lap. His resonant purr rewarded those of us on his staff for our prompt accomodation. A sharp cuff from his mother kept him in line when he wandered too close to the road, or too close to her feeding dish. His hunting prowess was unparalleled.


But the most striking feature about Felix wasn't his yowl or his milk mustache. It was his uncanny ability to calm my son. Out of five of us humans who share his domicile, Felix sought out my son to sleep with, to visit, to cuddle with, to play with. He would spread his time out with all of us in good measure, but there was no denying that Felix and my boy had a special bond.

I have heard of therapy animals, and have seen video of well-trained dogs who visit nursing homes and hospitals, but a cat who naturally assumes the role of comforting an autistic child, I have never experienced.

Felix will turn seven years old this summer, on Father's Day. What a good and perfect gift he's been from the Father of Lights.

Related blogs and websites

The following comprise a list of helpful sites for further reading:

http://specialprayers.wordpress.com/
KellyJo Hautz Griffin

http://www.differentdream.com/
Joan Philo

http://www.specialneedsparentcoach.com/
Joan Celibi

http://specialchildren.about.com/b/
Terri Mauro

http://www.autisticadvocacy.org/modules/smartsection/category.php?categoryid=8
the Autistic self-advocacy network

http://autism.about.com/
Lisa Jo Rudy

SPD foundation

Disability is Natural newsletter by Kathie Snow
http://www.disabilityisnatural.com/

Help a Falsely Accused Disabled Boy

Zakh Price is eleven years old and has been charged with felony assault. If this isn't shocking in this day and age, consider the fact that his school administered an illegal restraint on him. For what you ask? He refrained from harming a person, but he damaged school property. Still not jolted? Zakh has autism.

To give some perspective, my son for example is eleven, and has the highest functioning form of autism, Asperger's Synrome. He is very bright and has a tender heart, but there are times when his anxiety becomes so severe that he reacts in a physical way. Flight or fight mechanism. Zakh Price was not given the option of flight, so he chose fight. He harmed no one. He is to be commended.

His school district superintendent and principal at Fort Smith Public Schools have filed charges against him for felony assault. The purveyors of knowledge and enlightenment, instead of re-examining their policies and updating his IEP to include a behavior assessment, are making this a criminal matter. They are reacting to this child's anxiety with the equivalent of throwing him into a modern day snake pit. Outraged yet?

You can speak up for this child, who has no voice. You can email the principal and the school district and respectfully but emphatically ask them to drop the charges and update his IEP and re-educate their staff.

Here is a link with the info:
http://www.autisticadvocacy.org/modules/smartsection/item.php?itemid=103