My friend Steve Stone sent me the following, which I’m posting today as a guest message.
I wanted to make you aware that April is “National Autism Awareness” month.
Two of my three children suffer from Asperger’s Syndrome (AS) an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
(AS) is is a neurobiological developmental disorder. It’s characterized by poor social interactions, obsessions, odd speech patterns, and other peculiar mannerisms. Kids with (AS) often have few facial expressions and have difficulty reading the body language of others, they have trouble demonstrating empathy; they might engage in obsessive routines and display an unusual sensitivity to their environment (for example, they may be bothered by a light that no one else notices; they may cover their ears to block out sounds in the environment; or they might prefer to wear clothing made only of a certain material) Overall, people with (AS) are capable of functioning in everyday life, but tend to be somewhat socially immature and may be seen by others as odd or eccentric. Other characteristics of (AS) include motor delays, clumsiness, limited interests, and peculiar preoccupations.
As of yet…there is not definitive cause or cure. Early intervention is key, and fortunately for our family my wife got both boys into therapy early.
Obviously it’s a very personal matter to me, but I wanted to ask for your help in spreading the word on autism this month.
A very helpful link can be found here
Jake and Joey thank you, as do I.
Like Steve, this is a personal matter for me and my wife Cinda also. Our youngest son, Brian, is high functioning autistic. I love him deeply and our family wouldn’t be complete without him; but we do understand profoundly and personally how challenging autism is. Thank you for reading and for caring.
