Autism Awareness Month

[jhop220]

Hello everyone.

April is Autism Awareness month...and yes I'm a couple days early, but thought I would set the stage for getting the word out. You'll see a ribbon in my signature commemorating those with Autism.

I have studied the disability in depth with my studies in Psychology and it has always been something of interest to me. I've met kids with it and continue to work with them when I can.

It is a good cause to understand. Like "Autism Speaks" on facebook to learn a lot more and get involved.

To anyone on here who has a kid or knows one with Autism...know that you don't fight along and people are becoming aware every year.

 

[PiedPiper]

Bravo for this reminder, jhop. I have two close friends with autistic children, and hanging out with their kids has been totally fascinating and rewarding for me. One of them, a teenaged boy, would hang out with me as I worked in the boatyard wood shop. One day we were talking about something going on with his folks,... a pretty subjective matter on the face of it. But the young man quietly assured me that he could "sense" things which other people could not. He was also a genius with a computer. The other was a teenaged girl who could work on an art project for three days and nights continuously, remaining completely focused the whole way. It's difficult for me to think of this precisely as a "disability," ...... "special" in some way, perhaps. I realize that certain behavioral or developmental problems can accrue to situations of autism,... but in the cases I've been privileged to observe, it is the unique talents and abilities which stand out in my mind.

 

[Jagermeistered]

It's difficult for me to think of this precisely as a "disability," ...... "special" in some way, perhaps.

-Pied

My thoughts exactly... And, thank you for the OP, jhop.

 

[jhop220]

Bravo for this reminder, jhop. I have two close friends with autistic children, and hanging out with their kids has been totally fascinating and rewarding for me. One of them, a teenaged boy, would hang out with me as I worked in the boatyard wood shop. One day we were talking about something going on with his folks,... a pretty subjective matter on the face of it. But the young man quietly assured me that he could "sense" things which other people could not. He was also a genius with a computer. The other was a teenaged girl who could work on an art project for three days and nights continuously, remaining completely focused the whole way. It's difficult for me to think of this precisely as a "disability," ...... "special" in some way, perhaps. I realize that certain behavioral or developmental problems can accrue to situations of autism,... but in the cases I've been privileged to observe, it is the unique talents and abilities which stand out in my mind.

It is a disability is a social sense...but "special" is a better term I agree.