April 2

is World Autism Awareness Day. I looked it up and found out there are only a few diseases that the U.N. has marked with a World Awareness Day.

http://www.autismspeaks.org/ is one of the best sites for basic information. But there are many sites out there if you search "autism". This is because autism has become so prevalent. Prevalence is also the reason the U.N. established the WAAD.

Today 1 in 150 children are diagnosed with autism. I have two of them. It is more common among boys than girls. I have been asked if it is known why the statistics are rising so much. Everyone has theories, but there's no pat answer and I belive it is probably a combination of different things. Some say the numbers are higher because the symptoms are recognized better today. Some say the number really is rising due to factors that are yet unknown (because the cause of autism is unknown). Some say it is over-diagnosed; that doctors apply the label to other problems. This might be true, but all the more reason to educate people (raise awareness) on what autism really is. I am not going to list here the criteria of diagnosing autism, but will tell you something of what autism is.

Autism is a developmental disorder; i.e. it affects the normal development of children, slowing their development. That is why early intervention is important: the first years of a child's life they are more malleable, and there are building blocks that need to be put in place for further development. It most often affects their communication skills and social skills.

It is a neurological disorder in that it affects the neurological pathways in the brain. There is evidence that some of the neurons in the brain are not making the right "connection" or at least not all the time.

It is also becoming apparent that there is a biological/medical factor, though this is not always accepted by "experts". Children with autism often have food intolerances and/or don't digest certain foods correctly. If those foods can be removed from their diet, it helps to alleviate even the behavioral symptoms of autism. Children with autism often benefit from vitamin/mineral supplements because 1) their bodies are not properly breaking down the foods and 2) they often do not eat some foods because they are so sensitive to taste and texture that it is like torture to eat those foods (which means they may be missing pieces of an essential diet).

Autism is one of the "invisible disabilities" in that it is not apparent to onlookers that there is a disorder, in contrast with disabilities that are more easily seen. To others it may seem that the child is just a problem-child that needs a good spanking, but the issues are deeper and more complex.

Children with autism are just as lovable as typical children, they just require a little more patience. They have a lot of potential if you are willing to look for it. They require a little more protection because they are unaware of dangerous situations that another child might more easily recognize. You will usually need to tell them something more than once, because they don't have their "listening ears on" (literally). And if you give them a command (this is the really young ones) you will need to physically show them what you want them to do in response to your request because they simply don't know what is expected. And you may have to show them several times before they understand.

As you can imagine, my world is very different. Different than others and different than what I thought it would be. But I still love my boys, and I know they love me. I still pray for their healing, but I also pray that God will use my circumstances to change me to be more like Him. I just keep trusting Him more, and leaning on myself less. Because I know he is in control, I can keep my sanity. Without Him I would not have hope and I don't know how others survive without Him.