I find it amazing how God orchestrates things in our lives. In high school, I chose a topic for my term paper, but after a bit of research, I asked my teacher if I could change my topic to Autism. I had recently read a book about a boy with the rare condition of Autism. My teacher had never heard of it, and she wanted to learn about it also. No one had heard of it. Hard to imagine now.
This was way WAY back in the late 1970s. Since that time, Autism rates have continued to climb. Boys are affected more than girls, but the average is now 1 in 54 children will be diagnosed with it. The numbers are staggering. Although no official cause is known, there are many theories. I don’t plan to address those here. That may be a post for another day.
Since that term paper in the late 70s, I’ve worked with children on the spectrum. Now I hope to raise awareness and acceptance for this challenge that many families face. Children on the spectrum vary in how their issues will present, and there are many misunderstandings about what it means to be Autistic. I’ve worked with children on the spectrum, and each one is unique.
Autism is not a discipline issue, a parenting flaw, an attention-seeking child, a spoiled child, or a topic you can ignore. Learning more about this neurological disorder is imperative in this day and age.
People on the Autism Spectrum may have many things that seem odd. They may also come across as rude. They don’t intend to be rude but speak directly to what they see or how they perceive something. They struggle with many things in the normal course of the day that we think of as ordinary happenings. Things like loud noises, bright lights, clothing textures, the way particular food tastes, and the list goes on. They’ll cope with these stresses by repeating a behavior over and over. They also may self-injure to release the stress.
I’ve witnessed a family in Wal-Mart with a boy having a meltdown. It’s loud and scary if you are unaware of what an actual sensory collapse looks like. Someone standing at the end of the aisle told me they were calling the police. I’ve also heard people complain about a child who talked extremely loud. These are traits of an Autistic child.
I encourage you to seek out more information. Learn about this challenge and if you so desire, pray for these families. If you don’t know someone on the spectrum or a family affected by it, you will soon. We must encourage our lawmakers, school officials, and the community to work hard at acceptance. Awareness is terrific, but acceptance is key to their success.