Autism Awareness

 

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Most of you don't know that I have a nephew with Autism. So for Awareness Wednesday this month I will be doing a Q & A with my sister, who has first hand knowledge. I can't think of a better person to ask about Autism and the world inside than someone who lives with it every day.

When did you first notice signs of autism?

Zach was four months old when I noticed that he didn't make sounds or follow objects with his eyes. He didn't jump at loud noises. He didn't respond to anything. He didn't cry. I remember thinking he was either deaf or autistic.

What were the signs? 

As he got older it was more noticeable. He played along side other kids but not really with them.

How old was he when he was officially diagnosed?

Because Zach is high functioning, we didn't get an official diagnosis until he was 11 and a half years old. He was diagnosed with ADHD and High Functioning Autism.

What kind of testing did he go through for his diagnosis?

We saw a pediatric neuro-psychologist for a diagnosis. He went through 18 hours of testing. There were different tests. Some tested his intelligence, some his ability to plan what will come next, how to put things in order/groups, social situations, and still others.

Was the diagnosis hard for you to accept?

I know that it is hard for many parents to accept that something is different. I already knew. Getting a diagnosis simply told me what it was so I could learn how to treat it. So not really. The pediatrician and I were pretty sure that was the diagnosis we would get.

Was it hard for him to accept?

I am a firm believer that knowledge is power. Zach is fully aware of all of his diagnosis. He researched on the internet to learn more. He did fine after the research. He said that it explained a lot of things and his behaviors.

A really good poem for the parent of ANY special needs child:

WELCOME TO HOLLAND

by
Emily Perl Kingsley.

I am often asked to describe the experience of raising a child with a disability - to try to help people who have not shared that unique experience to understand it, to imagine how it would feel. It's like this......
When you're going to have a baby, it's like planning a fabulous vacation trip - to Italy. You buy a bunch of guide books and make your wonderful plans. The Coliseum. The Michelangelo David. The gondolas in Venice. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It's all very exciting.
After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. The stewardess comes in and says, "Welcome to Holland."
"Holland?!?" you say. "What do you mean Holland?? I signed up for Italy! I'm supposed to be in Italy. All my life I've dreamed of going to Italy."
But there's been a change in the flight plan. They've landed in Holland and there you must stay.
The important thing is that they haven't taken you to a horrible, disgusting, filthy place, full of pestilence, famine and disease. It's just a different place.
So you must go out and buy new guide books. And you must learn a whole new language. And you will meet a whole new group of people you would never have met.
It's just a different place. It's slower-paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy. But after you've been there for a while and you catch your breath, you look around.... and you begin to notice that Holland has windmills....and Holland has tulips. Holland even has Rembrandts.
But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy... and they're all bragging about what a wonderful time they had there. And for the rest of your life, you will say "Yes, that's where I was supposed to go. That's what I had planned."
And the pain of that will never, ever, ever, ever go away... because the loss of that dream is a very very significant loss.
But... if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn't get to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things ... about Holland.

Awareness Wednesday - Mental Retardation

 March is among other awareness is Mental Retardation month. I have always had so much compassion for a person who is mentally challenged in any way. All through school I wouldn't allow them to be bullied or picked on. I am proud to say that my daughter has the same compassion and stands up for those that can't or won't stand up for themselves. There are 2 children with downs syndrome in her school, those 2 children have to be escorted through the halls because of a few students who are horribly mean children. My daughter and her friends allow these 2 beautiful souls to sit with them during lunch. My daughter came home so upset one day because some kids were being mean calling them "retards" among other horrible names. My daughter and her friend both freshman in high school chose to stand up and say something to these kids. A teacher yelled at them for making too much noise. When they explained to the teacher what had happened and why they made all the "noise" she told them they had to mind their business and keep it down or they'd be sent to the office. I myself dare a teacher to send my daughter to the office, or the office do something to her for her standing up for those who can't stand up for themselves.

Relationship Wellness

February is relationship wellness month! I think with my recent post and knowing that we can all improve in one area or another I thought this was a perfect awareness to bring light to. So I found some great tips I thought I would share with you.

Create Intimacy - Ok so this is one of PC's and I's biggest problems. I think it's all too easy to get caught up in daily life and lose that. We work opposite schedules, have different days off and only see each other a few days a week. Here's a few things I think we need to try.

• Lie down on the bed and spend two minutes looking into each other's eyes without saying anything. (Blinking is OK.)
• Next time you're in bed pull the covers over your head and have a whispered conversation. If you whisper first he'll probably whisper back—it's incredibly intimate.

Speak - I think we forget to talk to each other sometimes. I don't mean that we don't say anything, but we aren't really talking to each other.

• Say something positive—anything at all. Researchers have found that happy couples have a ratio of five positive comments to each negative comment.
• Compliment something that he's improved upon.
• Tell him he makes you a better person, and then tell him how.

Kiss every day for at least 10 seconds - This may sound silly, but the research shows that couples that connect through physical touch every day are happier overall in their relationships. Now at times, the last thing you may want to do is kiss your spouse; I understand that. However even if we are not feeling something, sometimes the action changes how we feel. So plant a big one on your spouse tonight!

Compliment your spouse at least once a day. Yep, I know I fail miserably at this one, but I'm going to try harder.

Go on a date - PC and I used to go on a date every week. We have slacked off. I find that when we go on our weekly dates I felt so much closer to him.

I found these tips at Mental Health Matters and Your Tango.

I also purchased The Love Dare app for the iPod touch. I'm going to do my best to get my marriage back to where it should be.

National Stop Bullying Day

Today is National Stop Bullying Day! I think with all the teen suicides that have been in the news lately it's so important to bring this to light and put a stop to it.

I have gathered some information to share with you from Stop Bullying Now and a great website for parents to share with their children Hey Ugly. Just to make it clear UGLY stands for Unique Gifted Lovable You.


A lot of young people have a good idea of what bullying is because they see it every day! Bullying happens when someone hurts or scares another person on purpose and the person being bullied has a hard time defending himself or herself. Usually, bullying happens over and over.

• Punching, shoving, and other acts that hurt people physically
• Spreading bad rumors about people
• Keeping certain people out of a "group"
• Teasing people in a mean way
• Getting certain people to "gang up" on others

Bullying also can happen online or electronically. Cyberbullying is when children or teens bully each other using the Internet, mobile phones or other cyber technology. This can include:

• Sending mean text, email, or instant messages

• Posting nasty pictures or messages about others in blogs or on Web sites
• Using someone else's user name to spread rumors or lies about someone  

Go this site for some Prevention and Intervention information. We can help!

Womens Heart Week

February 1-7 is Women's Heart Week and it's such an important week to educate you on. So I come armed with some information from Womensheart.org.

Heart Disease is the number one killer of American women. Recognizing symptoms and risks, making lifestyle changes and getting timely care can save a woman's life. Women's Heart Week is a national outreach campaign aimed at improving women's outcomes from this deadly disease. Heart disease is America’s leading killer of women over the age of 34. Most women are not aware of this fact and fail to recognize their own risk factors for heart disease. Women’s symptoms, especially those that are milder, often go ignored. Women often miss out on critical opportunites to save their own lives. Women's Heart Foundation (WHF) recognizes that women are busier than ever as they juggle career, family and care-giving responsibilities. For many, each day resembles a jig–saw puzzle in which a woman is required to piece together her time and obligations. Now, more than ever, women need to take time out for themselves and be given a reminder: Take Care of Your Heart.

Some scary statistics for you to think about as well:
Less than one-third (31.8 percent) of U.S. adults get regular leisure-time physical activity (defined as light or moderate activity five times or more per week for 30 minutes or more each time and/or vigorous activity three times or more per week for 20 minutes or more each time). About 10 percent of adults do no physical activity at all in their leisure time.

Nearly two-thirds of U.S. adults are overweight (BMI > 25, which includes those who are obese).[7] All adults (20+ years old): 129.6 million (64.5 percent) Women (20+ years old): 64.5 million (61.9 percent) Men (20+ years old): 65.1 million (67.2 percent) Nearly one-third of U.S. adults are obese (BMI > 30). All adults (20+ years old): 61.3 million (30.5 percent) Women (20+ years old): 34.7 million (33.4 percent) Men (20+ years old): 26.6 million (27.5 percent)

About 25 percent of young people (ages 12–21 years) participate in light to moderate activity (e.g., walking, bicycling) nearly every day. About 50 percent regularly engage in vigorous physical activity. Approximately 25 percent report no vigorous physical activity, and 14 percent report no recent vigorous or light to moderate physical activity.

So I ask this of all my readers. Get check ups, make sure you are healthy and know your family history. I can tell you that in my moms family we have a ton of heart disease. My mom passed away at 49 from a heart attack, her sister passed away at 48 from a heart attack. This hits close to home for me.

No Name Calling Week

 Did you know that this week is No Name Calling week. I know for some of you this may be hard. People like to call me names - like perfect, beautiful, fun, silly, loyal...you know all those wonderful things.


Seriously though, this is No Name Calling week. I think it's a great idea. Tell your kids and maybe they will go a week without calling someone a name. Maybe it will catch on and they will stop doing it. 


What is it:
No Name-Calling Week is an annual week of educational activities aimed at ending name-calling of all kinds and providing schools with the tools and inspiration to launch an on-going dialogue about ways to eliminate bullying in their communities.

Who should participate:
Anyone who wants to work towards eliminating harmful name-calling, harassment and bullying in their school can be a part of No Name-Calling Week, whether you are a teacher, student, guidance counselor, coach, librarian or bus driver. 

No Name-Calling Week was inspired by a young adult novel entitled "The Misfits" by popular author, James Howe. The book tells the story of four best friends trying to survive the seventh grade in the face of all too frequent taunts based on their weight, height, intelligence, and sexual orientation/gender expression. Motivated by the inequities they see around them, the "Gang of Five" (as they are known) creates a new political party during student council elections and run on a platform aimed at wiping out name-calling of all kinds. Though they lose the election, they win the support of the school's principal for their cause and their idea for a "No Name-Calling Day" at school. 

Motivated by this simple, yet powerful, idea, the No Name-Calling Week Coalition, created by GLSEN and Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, and consisting of over 40 national partner organizations, organized an actual No Name-Calling Week in schools across the nation during the week of March 1-5, 2004. This year, No Name-Calling Week will take place the week of January 24-28, 2011. The project seeks to focus national attention on the problem of name-calling in schools, and to provide students and educators with the tools and inspiration to launch an on-going dialogue about ways to eliminate name-calling in their communities.