Wednesday, 08 June 2011
-
You Want to Know What Autism Looks Like?
My name is Christina. My three and half year old son, Dillon, has Autism. He is extremely smart and while he has a speech delay, his communication has never suffered. We have used gestures and partial words, along with what words he can say. In the short 6 months he was in preschool this past fall, his speech has improved by leaps and bounds.
I really wish I knew what people thought Autism looks like. Do they think it has a certain look, as some illnesses and diseases cause deformities to the body? Do they think it is something that can be seen in an ultrasound during pregnancy or even an x-ray after the child is born? Do they think Autism can be detected by a blood test?
If you want to know what Autism looks like....this is what Autism looks like:
And here is Dillon with some of his classmates, whom are all special needs. Just incase my son didn't look enough like Autism for you....
Most children with Autism are not diagnosed until after they are 1 or 2 years old, if even that early. Many are often diagnosed years later than that. Autism is a spectrum disorder. What this means, is that there is no set list of symptoms or signs. The symptoms of Autism range in amount and in severity. No two children with Autism are alike. It is impossible to compare one child with Autism to another because they won't have the same challenges or developmental delays. They will not have the same social skills or gross and fine motor skill levels.
Before you judge someone who has Autism or a child with Autism or special needs, do some research. Educate yourself on Autism and what exactly it is. It is not an issue, not a disease, not an illness, not a disability and surely not a tragedy. It is a disorder. And something else you'd know if you did some research, often times if Autism is caught early enough and therapy services are utilized, a child can overcome their Autism and go on to be like any other child who does not have special needs. Betcha didn't know that, now did you?
Here are some resources for those who think they know anything about something they really know nothing about.
Autism United - What is Autism?
Related Posts
Post a Comment
- Back to autisable's Autisable Site!
- Note: your comment will appear in autisable's local time zone: GMT -05:00 (Eastern Standard - US, Canada)
About the Author
-
- From: StorySeldomTold@xanga
- Name: MySpiceOfLife
- About Me: I am a true survivor.
-
True
Stats: This Week All Time Posts: 0 2 Views: 0 1882 Comments: 0 11 View all posts by StorySeldomTold@xanga
Comments (5)
Great story about your son. I often think that if my son just looked "different" that maybe people would better understand Autism. My son looks like a typical 6 year old, so people think that my wife and I are just bad parents. I feel the passion in every word you wrote and I think I have felt every bit of the same passion for my son.
Thank you for writing this today. Sharing is cathartic.
Mike S.
Well said. I babysat an autistic person. He's really good with video games online. In all honestly, I've always wanted to be a TA for these people. I love being around them. You can learn so much from them.
PS; I never knew you could get therapy to help over come the autism. Thanks for the new knowledge I now contain =]
Thank you so much for this! Many people think my daughter is just being rude when they try to say hello to her (she's nearly 5 and still primarily nonverbal), because she LOOKS "normal". Sometimes I wish she had some sort of outward sign so that people don't assume things about her. Also, with 1 in 88 military kids being diagnosed with autism, you'd think we would encounter fewer stares when she has a meltdown in the commissary, but this is just not the case.
I read blogs on a similar topic, but i never visited your blog. I added it to favorites and i'll be your constant reader.