My thought on Autism Awareness.

For Autism Awareness month I thought I who let people know what I would want people to be aware of about Autism.
First this is just my list and it may not be someone else's.  We have a saying, "if you have met one kid with Autism you have met one kid with Autism."  That means no 2 are alike.  So, when we say our son has Autism then you tell us how a kid your son goes to school with has Autism, that doesn't mean anything to us and we really don't know what to say after that but "ok".  They have even different health concerns and different abilities.
Next, there is no Scientist or doctor on the planet who knows what causes Autism so please don't tell us you know it is caused by genetics.  As a family that has had 3 genetic test we know it isn't.  We say in the Autism world that "genetics loads the gun but environment pulls the trigger". What causes it in one person may not be the thing that causes it in another.
Lastly, Autism family members are accidental activist so we have no problem answering questions about Autism and most of us don't mind talking about it at all.  We are not ashamed of it so it is not rude to ask us questions because the more you know the more others will know and that is what awareness is all about.

I will tell you that there are many camps in the autism world.  For myself I don't think of autism much on the day to day.  It doesn't defend my family.  Some families define themselves as a military family, a Christian family, or a special needs family.  Well, we are a Jewish family, a natural family (planet based products avoid chemicals and plastic), we are a homeschooling family and then a special needs family.  Even though I have 2 special needs kids.  I do worry about autism and the future a lot but that is a different post.  Most people with autism in their family will be either an autism family or a special needs family.  But that is not the camps.  I can tell if I am in the same camp with another autism family by asking one question.  What do you think of Autism Speaks?  If you like them or support them you should get off this post right now but I am not in that camp at all.  I am in the Autism speaks doesn't speak for me camp.   Autism speak people have their kids one bunch of meds for behavior.  Autism doesn't speak people change the kids diet and remove chemicals for behavior changes.  We talk about cleaning the gut, probiotics, supplements.  We go to birthday parties with the gluten free cake and talk about how great the infrared sauna has helped with detoxing.  See our kids don't detox on their own because most of them have the mthfr gene mutation.  We compare B12 supplement chewables.   When you go to the Autism speak people it is all red dye number 5, artificial sweeteners and mom's comparing which meds have helped and which meds made their kids rage.  If you think I am judging, well I am because this is my blog and I can judge away.
Do I think one way is better than another, yes.  If I didn't I wouldn't be in one camp.  My kids are hurt by the side effects of the meds and we strictly stay away from them and I would tell anyone to do the same.  I don't want a zombie for a kid because it is better than them being loud. 

Fate - Good or bad hard to say

Fate.  When people say they leave it up to fate it sounds so positive.  People with BPD Boardline personality disorder don't see the positive right away.  I hear fate as a negative force.  Fate is chaos that can wipe out a family.  I have to do something to be ready to fight off fate.  Believing fate is believing the heavens will line up your life so that it is good.  I would get mad at the people who are so arrogant to think their world is plotting to make everything line up just for them.  Yet most people say it ,so the world is just arrogant.  I think it is meant to be neutral.  It does not favor anyone and no one thinks it does.  They are saying that what ever happens is going to happen and could good or bad it is out of my control so I will see what will come that is unexpected and then decide if it is good or bad.   Because good or bad, hard to say.

Good or bad - hard to say
This goes back to sometime something happens and you think how bad this is but it makes you have to do something else or open a new door for yourself.  Maybe even makes you do something you were putting off but sometimes the bad things are the best things to happen to you when you look back.  I know that in my life the bad things could become things that I feel good about happening because some of the things that have happened in my life happen only because a bad thing happened and they were the best things in my life now.



So when something bad happens, just wait before declaring this a bad day or event.  The day could turn out to be better than the one you planned on.  And if it is bad, just go with it because the bad trips or events I have been on with my family have become my favorite memories.  We love to laugh at how bad the hotel or food was.  Joke about how mad we were or poke fun at each other for being mad or sad at the event.  Over time those memories became our families go to fun time stories.  So was the scary snow tubing trip or trashy Paris streets really bad when years later these trips bring us so much laughter.  Good or bad hard to say.