Where will you be in ten years time?

Where do you see yourself in ten years time? What is it you want from life? What are you aiming for?

What did you answer?

I remember being asked this question (a good few times in-fact) the one time that really stands out though, was being asked the above as part of a job interview. I was just eighteen at the time and pregnant with little man. Was I scared at the prospect of becoming a young mum? “I don’t really think I actually considered myself to be one at the time” , Though yes eighteen is very young and I would soon become a teenage mum, I felt excited for what lay ahead.

I knew what the interviewer was thinking, you could see it from the moment I walked in the door! I knew it was a waste of time, and though it wasn’t the best job in the world “Being a bingo assistant” It was a job, and when your on such a low-income with a baby on the way, you grab anything you can get.

So where did I see myself in ten years time & what was it I was aiming for?

*Giggle* “Mmm… a successful career woman, who was also a mummy to a few beautiful kiddies, a house covered in ivy that was picture perfect, my prince in toll and a few horses to make up the numbers!”

Of course I didn’t say this! No…. I rambled on about this & that, all the normal interview talk about climbing the ladder.… Blah-blah-blah.

Well, needless to say I didn’t get the job! Who wants to employ a young lady and her bump, who would be wanting maternity leave a few months down the line!

I’m now 28 years old and yep, its ten years later (I have the bags under my eyes to prove it) I may not have the complete picture perfect house in the country. I certainly don’t have the career! But I do have three beautiful children & do you know what? “I’ve discovered my passion! Raising awareness for autism spectrum disorders, campaigning for change! ” Who gives a horses *beep* about the ivy covered cottage with the high-flying career?

When I discovered little man had Aspergers I knew I had to search for every bit of info I could (No matter how small or insufficient it may seem) It was like stepping into a whole new world that was both amazing, yet heartbreaking. “What the hell is wrong with him” or another common one… “How can my own son act so emotionless towards his own mother?” How many parents of children on the spectrum have asked themselves that very question I wonder? Now I was beginning to understand why!!!

So many times I questioned things, so… many things: “Why would he ask for padlocks for his birthday? What’s with the tiptoe walking & the refusal to wear certain clothing? Does he really need to get naked as soon as we step through the door???? The thing is when a child is on the more “low functioning” end of the spectrum, it’s that bit clearer to the outside world that, “Yes this child doesn’t seem to be developing as they should be” With the child that is on the opposite end of that spectrum, the child who meets or even exceeds many of their developmental milestones, will not likely encounter such views!  I’m not saying those children who are said to be “Classic Autistic” have it easy, Hell no! These children are often seen as little toe-rags by many despite how profoundly autistic they maybe. There is no way of getting away from the ignorance of society. I’m merely saying that when your child has Aspergers, it can be hard to get those you need to listen to do so!

So… My point is ten years on, things are a lot different then I ever imagined! If you had asked me how I felt about having a child on the spectrum a few years back, you would have been greeted with a blubbering woman who couldn’t see a light at the end of the tunnel. A primary school who reported no problems, a mother & a father who endlessly thought up tactics & strategies to get our child into his bed of a night (Sleep is another matter all together) The need to give the never-ending reassurance little man required to lessen his anxieties… “Yes, daddy is fine, his not going to get hurt when his not with you” or “of course mummy will cross at the lights” Yet enduring his inappropriate use of language and insensitive remarks when he tells you, “GET OUT MY FACE MUM, YOU SPY, YOU BITCH!” The heartbreak you feel every time your child looks at you and tells you in the most serious of faces, “I DON’T CARE ABOUT YOU, I DON’T EVEN LIKE YOU”, worse still “I DON’T LOVE YOU” All the time there’s this little boy in there and something is making him feel so angry that his screaming inside, his sat on a step hands together asking.… “god, why is she doing this to me?” when you’re trying to be consistent in dealing with challenging behaviour. He goes into full meltdown, resulting in you “the parent” asking god that very same question that he did.. “GOD, WHY IS HE DOING THIS TO ME?” some six hours later, while sat in a crying heap on the floor.

No denying it! It’s one road that’s long and full of road works a long the way. But having that, “Label” somehow makes it so…. much easier. I’m not talking about public services (though this help) I’m talking about the change in yourself! Your now able to read, read, read.… because you have a focus, something to go on! With every page or website, new friend,  fellow parent you meet, you find an answer for one of them many questions you’ve asks yourself! Like most things in life the answer to a problem, ultimately gives you the solution needed to “mend it” & others well you turn them into positives… “Obsessive interest can become tools to engage the child in learning or used as a meaning full reward..e.g.” It’s no easy ride, and though I’m more confident in parenting my son, “more than I was before & in the early months following his diagnosis” I still find myself having one of them “Low” days, when ignorance bloody makes my blood boil & one more stupid, insensitive, dam right judgemental comments will push me off the edge of the cliff I’ve been stood on the entire day, week, or even month. “I’m used to it” I mean “ignorance” I spent too much time worrying about the probability that the shop assistant, teacher, parent…. would think his a “Brat” or “Devil child” (Yes his called this, comments referring to the three sixes on his head et.…) The worry about your parental skills being looked upon. I become sick of the worry and self loathing. Now I smile a cheesy smile. If I feel the need to explain a behaviour I will, but only because.… “I FEEL IT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED!”  Though things are so, so tough at present, with part-time schooling due to his complex needs in school, leading to constant exclusions, and the ongoing statutory assessments, I’m sane!! (Just about) and extremely happy and proud in broadcasting to the world that… I HAVE A CHILD WITH ASPERGERS & A LONG WITH HIS SISTER AND BABY BROTHER, I THINK HIS AMAZING & MY GOD I LOVE THAT LITTLE ASPIE MAN OF MINE!

This post has been linked to the awareness campaign:”All bloggers unite for Autism” created by Tammy over at Autism Learning Felt. Instead of  participating in the Autism communication shutdown that also takes place today, Tammy decided it was better to be heard then be silenced and therefore went about uniting all mum bloggers to blog about autism and contact the blogs together to form a chain of great articles and better autism awareness.

An Inspirational Journey.

With so much to say I really don’t know where to start.

So last week I had an idea! Being me I just had to make this idea a reality. Of course this idea was autism related Yes I’m starting to think that maybe Autism is my “Special Interest” How dare I say my son is obsessive. Well what’s this idea, project or even mission if you like? Well I went in search of beautiful images. These beautiful images would be sorted, arranged and placed together to create a collage. Autistic adults & Parents of autistic children from all over the world have sent me their stunning images and gave me permission to create a collage that would need No words for it would tell its own story and by doing so help us raise awareness for Autism Spectrum disorders.

As I sat at my computer working on this very project I came over a little tearful. I don’t think I was sad I just think I was a tad emotional. We  started our journey a few years previous. I sat at the very same computer but this time the mission was somewhat different. I had to educate myself on Autistic spectrum disorders. When It was first suggested that this could be a possible diagnosis for little man I felt lost. Yes I had heard about autism as Little man had a cousin on the spectrum. But I knew little about the condition. Alfie his cousin was at the lower end of the spectrum and Aspergers was considered a more appropriate criteria for a diagnosis for little man. However this took a huge amount of time. It was both tiring and stressful. My heart goes out to every parent going through this process, Stay strong and don’t give up.

Sat at the computer I continue my trip down memory lane. It’s a long lane full of emotional challenges and certain disadvantages that we had to overcome! But there are also many positive event’s that balance it all out. I have learnt to embrace little mans Aspergers instead of fearing it. I don’t want to be a parent who doesn’t understand their child. Ok  there are times it’s impossible to know whats going through his head but I’m sure that’s just boys in general:) But I get knots In my tummy when I think back to all them times he had unwelcome meltdowns and I was at a complete lose to why it was happening and what to do about it. I wanted to scream! And keep screaming. I dare to think how he was feeling. I just wanted to eliminate the triggers for the unwanted and Challenging behaviour, But to do this wouldn’t I need to know what those triggers were? I didn’t have a clue and needed an even bigger clue to know where to start looking. Goggle had become almost a second mum to me. I relied on it so much. Google pointed me in the right direction just as my mother has done many times. I learnt so much and with this I noticed improvements in all areas of Little mans life.  It was evident that a number of problems were caused by his difficulties with his Sensory processing. I can not begin to emphasize how much time and understanding  you will need when dealing with these sensitive problems. It may take time but what else have you got? I had to analyze a number of different  situations for what felt like forever in-order to work out what triggered certain outburst and social awkwardness. We made a reasonably long list of possibles hence the reason I was shocked the school reported no worries or concerns of their own. I remember a certain child Psychologist telling me “His challenging behaviour would  likely become more apparent at school as he grew” I have to say he was right it’s now became very apparent within school! At least I have more confidence  in taking hold of a problem situation as 9 times out of ten I can work out why it’s happening ( See what research ca do for yer ) Avoidance was the key although depending on what the problem was avoidance was not always the best nor even possible action. School was a big No, No But avoiding it was only going to send the AWO knocking at my door gunning me down like a harden criminal. I also assumed that Cognitive abilities were well within the average range. So his learning was fairly good given that he missed a considerable amount of school time. Not only was little man a night owl he also liked to be a naked one. He hated clothing and as soon as he returns home from school off come the clothes and into the toilet he goes. He did this same routine every single weekday and still does ( At least now the clothes go back on afterwards). So I had come to the conclusion that he hated to wear any clothing when taking a poop ( Including socks ) He preferred to be naked in general. He didn’t like wet food touching dry food ( exceptions being daddies pasta and gravy on a roast dinner everything else a no,no ) He hates scrapping  and scratching noises hence the reason for all them meltdowns and boisterous behaviour  every time the task of washing up came around or scraping the fork across your plate in-order to gain the last mouthful off baked beans. That noise sent him loopy yet I just stood looking up asking God why, why, why. He said it makes him feel fuzzy Little man has always been very verbal so It wasn’t that he could not talk to us to let us know he was having difficulty dealing with things! He just expected us to know. I guess at that young age they always do.  But being a child on the spectrum this little blunder may carry on for many years. Sadly for some it’s forever. Little man has come so far and mostly always  informs us if he is stressing because his having a problem with something. If your child has never undergone a problem with sensory sensitivities then it will be pretty hard for you to really relate. Those that have I’m guessing are furiously nodding their heads about know.

Another trigger that came to light was that Little man had certain phobias that made him understandably very anxious. He loves doors but was scared to use public or school toilets for fear the doors may shut and lock him in. He also had this fear in other situations that entailed being behind doors. elevators posed problems as did shops. Yes have you ever been in a shop and it’s due to close? They often lock the door so no other customers can enter. God I remember and will never forget that first and only time that very thing happened. He was aggressive swearing and screaming. He was seen as a spoilt brat. Then we had the emotional overload kick in. He laid on the shop floor holding my feet and asking not to die. He was just 3 at the time. And no he did not grow out of it we have just avoided it ever happening again. He also fears others if they have a certain physical  disability . He will face the wall  and cry. He don’t mean to be nasty he is truly afraid.  Still the on looking eyes don’t make you feel much better.

I’m very proud how far we have come. Little man is having a range of problems within school and lately he has brought some of these behaviors  back home. But we are dealing with them best we can. However exclusions are having a huge negative impacted  on the family and I really want to find a way for this punishment to be avoided. In my opinion it’s only making his routine suffer and his sleep pattern disappear. Apart from the school issues I think we have a much better situation going on. Home life is more settled and we both have a better understanding of one another. We are working on removing his use of swearing if anything his public use at least for now and his aggression towards his poor little sister who is innocent 97% off the time. Hand on heart I think without many of my new friends within this massive autism community I would not be where I am at today. At first it was just us and I really didn’t expect to much in the way of personal support and advice, especially from the internet but how wrong I was. Blogging opened a door for me to explore so many different places that had connections with ASD. Twitter and facebook must be run by aspies 🙂 I wanted to exchange advice and tips with a handful of parents (  the more the better!) Wow I have made contacts reaching well over the thousands. Many are with other parents all going through the same thing all with a story of their own. Behind every blog, profile & tweet there is a connection with autism and that connection bonds us all together in a very strong and uplifting way that I guess only us parents of special needs children would understand. I have Created a Facebook page and group that is open to parents, siblings, and those on the spectrum regardless of age,  gender or race. How quick  the list of members has grown is amazing. And to read comments confirming how beneficial social groups can be to those with autism and their families is a very positive thing that makes me smile. I have been truly inspired by many to go that extra mile when raising awareness for autism. I’m so very lucky to have interviewed people like John Kirton from the documentary Autism x6. John you always offer great advice thank you. Also to be raising awareness along  side advocates such as Anna Kennedy ( advocate and author ) who I’m so lucky to have on my Facebook  friends list 🙂 And other inspirational people I am lucky to have made contact with who are always happy to give advice and I’m sure those in the world of autism would know these great people or a least of  heard of them. Donna Williams, Sally Hugget, ,Polly Tommey ( who is busy with her autism campaign ) are just a few. There are  many more who range from parents, professionals, advocates, educators, Authors, bloggers, autistic individuals and so on.  Wow I really do have many places and people to turn to. Thats just a great reason to smile and cry a happy tear. From Just us to all of us. How liberating. Every time I receive a message or a comment from a parent of a newly diagnosed child I will direct them to this very post to assure them they are not alone. The collage, Group and Facebook page are all a chance for me to give something back.

So now when you look at the images within the collage please see more than just faces! These are the faces of autism. These are the beautiful faces of autism.

The collage filled with beautiful faces of Autism Is now available for viewing on this blog  under the page titled Awareness Collage.

STATEMENT OF SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS

Ok so you get that formal diagnosis the one that has taken so long to get. After many assessments and meeting have taken place it’s all complete and filed. Yes my child has been diagnosed as having a life long condition but relief floods over you. At long last we can move on! Carry on with life and just get on with it. The assessment process on little man took forever and I know thats exactly how I felt. I had a lot to learn and after talking with other parents of child on the autistic spectrum, reading and just understanding my son I learned a little more each day. However and not surprising There was something I hadn’t learnt. I didn’t have a clue about SEN. Yes I now understood an awful deal about my sons condition Aspergers but what in the world did the word SEN represent. Well lucky for me that was before and that since then I discovered this stood for special educational needs. This was something I stupidly assumed would apply to my son. Well he has a  social & communication disorder, meaning that surely extra help would be on offer for him when it came to schooling. You know from my last angry and frustrated post that little man and SEN don’t go together. Help, extra services what the hell is that ? As I write this I will try my hardest to contain myself. But It’s hard as thinking about the extra support that little man has so crawly been deprived of makes me a tad crazy. But that was far from the end of my frustration

as too much to my horror It turns out having a formal diagnosis of Aspergers is not enough! Shocking I know. It’s up to the school to decide if your child is entitled to or requires any extra educational help. Well god help me! This is the school that labeled my child as having behavioral problems after telling me and others on a number of different occasions that little man was well – behaved in school and showed no concerns. This is also the school who sat and spoke with myself and little mans doctor about his diagnosis, introduced me to the school Senco only to recently inform me that they don’t have a written record of his diagnosis. How on earth is this going to happen? So just when you think the long process of assessments and meetings have come to an end it turns out they have only just begun. In order for your child to access the education that is right for his particular needs an assessment for a statement of needs has to be completed. This is not a day thing but could be a minimum of 6 long weeks. Yes it’s a long time when you are at breaking point and need a school move asap.

So now I wait to see if an assessment can go ahead. The decision to assess is made by the local education authority and in some cases can be refused. It gets better! After inquiring I have been told to state my concerns leading to the request of an assessment. Well from what the school, other parents and children and my son have noted back to me this is some of what I have come up with and I am putting it to you guys before the authority for some much-needed advice and opinions.

1. Giovanni has problems building relationships with other children with in his school. This makes attending a problem as fear of bullying and rejection.
2. Finds some of the chosen work un challenging and some to challenging but will not ask for help so therefore will just refuse to do it.
3. Has issues with using school toilet facilities though fear of the doors becoming locked and also their cleanliness. This has caused a number of problems as I have often had to collect him and bring him home to go.
4. His outspokenness  has a tendency  to get him into trouble with this being confused with rudeness to other children and staff meaning at times he has unfairly been punished.
5. Giovanni not eating despite bringing in a packed lunch. Mainly because he wont eat in front of others or maybe another reason that I am not aware of just yet.
6. The disturbing fact that staff are sometimes unaware of Giovanni not being present at lunch. I then discover He has not eaten a packed lunch for weeks at a time.
7. His fear of changing for PE in front of others meaning a reluctance to take part or even attend school on them days.
8. stereo type behavior on Giovanni’s part.
9. Frustration with others not understanding his way of thinking causing him to have outburst and lash out. His taken a door of its hinges by kicking it.
10. His need for routine. When ever there is a temporary teacher teaching class he always has problems throughout the day. Mostly being behavioral. This is due to the sudden change. He is also deeply upset if a teacher that has become close to him leaves the school on a permanent basis.

these are just a few of my main concerns and I feel his current school are not equipped to deal with some if not all of them given recent findings and revelations. The school that I wish to place little man at is a school for children on the autistic spectrum including Aspergers, as well as other learning difficulties and certain disabilities. As my child clearly falls into this category I’m hoping he can be offered a place as soon as one is opened. The school has fantastic reviews and always hits its yearly targets. It would be both wonderful and exciting for me and little man for him to be excepted into this school.

ALL IS GOING GREAT!

So little man and his sister went back to school Monday. Yes I was worried about little man as he hates change but things seem to be going fantastic. I was also really worried about him sleeping and waking up on time but we have also overcome that problem! We live next door to one of Giovanni’s class mates and we have agreed that they can walk to school alone together. The thing is we only live up the road from the school so there are no big roads to deal with  and we can pretty much see from the window. I also still have to walk Alice to school so we leave five min after he does so he fells that bit more grown up. They leave early and play In the playground before the bell goes. I’m so pleased He has become close with someone in his class/school as little man can find it hard forming a friendship with other children as a result of his Aspergers and he has at times become a target for bullies. ( At the moment their is a girl aged around 10 yrs that lives a few doors down). She seems to enjoying winding little man up and it’s now got so bad he don’t want to go and play with his friend that he walks to school with in their garden as the bully lives next door and sometimes goes around. We saw her at shopping today and she was rude and I had to have a word with her mother which I hate doing. Her mum was also heavily pregnant like myself and looked as if she really didn’t need the stress ( Well heres hoping things improve )

Anyway guys just wanted to update you on the whole school thing and thank everyone for their support:)

THE JOHN AND ROBIN KIRTON INTERVIEW

So the time has come, It’s time for the big Interview. This Month I have John Kirton joining me. He and his wife Robin are the only parents in America who have six children on the autism spectrum. WOW. This Interview is a great insight into the lives of a family with six amazing children. Welcome to the Big Interview. ENJOY 🙂

Hi John it’s really great to have this chance to chat with you today.

How are you?

I am doing FANTASTIC, thanks for asking.

 

And how is your wife and the children?

 

We have had a really good winter this year.  The last few years one of the children would bring home a cold or the flu from school, then another would get it. The next couple of weeks it would go through the entire family.  And that happened 3-5 times during each winter season.  It wasn’t much fun.  This year?  Just once and it affected only a few of the children.  We feel that taking supplements and a special diet have helped quite a bit.

 

So John for those that do not know! Why is it that you understand so much about Autism spectrum?

Well I’m no expert on Autism itself, but I am learning all the time.  

Is it true that all six of your children are on the autism spectrum ?

 Yes, it is true.

 

How is life for you and your wife?

 Well, six children were as much as we were counting on. However, when Autism came into the picture it added to the time and emotional requirements.

My son has ASD ( Aspergers ) He can be a little bit of a handful at times! But having Six children on the spectrum wow I’m guessing family life can be a little hectic.

 Very true, people do not know the half of it unless they have an Autistic child.  I read somewhere that having an Autistic child was the equivalent of having 3-4 “normal” children. If that’s true, we have 18-24 children!  No wonder we are a little crazy at the end of the day.

 

So Where along on the spectrum are your children?

 

Bobby (15), Emma (11) and Nephi (10) are all Aspergers.  Sarah (7) and Ammon (5) are classic or the most severely Autistic.  And Mary (4) is PDD-NOS.  We have had a number of people ask about the origin of the children’s names.  Some are because of my English heritage and some are from the Book of Mormon.  My Great-Grandfather, John Kirton, joined the Mormon Church in the 1890’s and immigrated from Wallsend, England to Coalville, Utah.

 

How does autism affect each one of your children?

 

Whoa! I can write a book on that question alone.  Bobby is very quiet, does very well in school (mostly A’s), has no real friends and has few social skills.  Emma varies from being quiet to very emotional, she does OK in school, she will have emotional ‘meltdowns’ but has done better with the diet, and she is a fantastic artist, writer and likes to design clothes for her Barbie dolls. Nephi varies from being quiet to very emotional as well, and is a more outgoing male version of Emma. Instead of Barbie dolls, he likes Bakugan and Star Wars/Clone wars.  Sarah is very happy and bounces and moves around a lot. One of our many nicknames for her is ‘Tigger’ from Winnie the Pooh. Her favorite ‘stim’ right now is tearing and ripping any kind of paper.  She’ll sneak away with a roll of paper towels or dinner napkins and we’ll find her bedroom ankle deep with the shredded remains. She has just a few words that we must coach her to say. And she is not potty-trained.  Ammon is much like Sarah in many respects.  His favorite ‘stims’ are flapping his hands, bobbing his head and watching doors that he can open and close (see him at the Zoo on my YouTube channel, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbdkstTZhOE).  He can climb anywhere and up and over most everything.  He has NO fear. He too is not potty-trained.  Mary is our child that is the most ‘normal’ of the bunch.  We thought the Doctor would say she was not Autistic, but she was diagnosed as PDD-NOS.  She talks well, has friends at school and is just a bit delayed right now.  However, at 4 years, 4 months she too is not potty-trained.  But she is at least working on it.  Looks like I did write a book.

 

Are any of the children home schooled? 

 No.  Robin says, “What, do you want me to totally lose my mind? LOL.

 

I love your site Autism Bites , I’m a big fan. Where do you find the time to add to this fantastic site?

I do it in spurts and usually when the children are in bed.

 Do you get much time for anything other then parenting?.  

To get anything else done, Robin and I take turns keeping an eye on things. Much of the time we are both on the job and rely on each other a lot.  During the times that we take an eye off of things… well that’s when we find surprises the children have created for us. Without one another we would never make it.

 

I am in the UK but I have still seen some of the shows you and your family  have appeared on. Good morning America and Larry king being a few of them. How do you find all the media attention? 

 Well, I put the ‘media ball’ into motion.  We went through a lot of grieving, emotional lows and soul searching as we found out about our new lives with Autism.  By having our story told we hope that we can help other parents with their trials. We blog, belong to various Autism groups, do TV, radio and Internet (wink!) interviews.  We get many emails though our website and so far have answered every one.  I’ve just been accepted as an Internet reporter for Autism on examiner.com and will be posting there a number of times each week.  People that ask or need more answers or help, we will contact by phone.  We have a number of Autistic adults that we talk to quite often.  We hope that our experiences can help others with their journey on the road of Autism.

 

And tell us a little about autism 6 on the Discovery Health Channel.

 

I got a call on my cell phone one day from the president, Bill Hayes, of the production company, Figure8 Films.  He told me that Discovery Health had been looking for a family that had multiple children with Autism to do a story about.  They discovered us from a local newspaper story in Salt Lake City, Utah.  They especially liked the idea that we have the entire Autism spectrum in one family.  Robin and I thought this would be a perfect opportunity to increase Autism awareness and acceptance.  We were of course concerned about how we would be portrayed. Bill said we would be able to see the show first before it was broadcast to insure we were happy with the final product.  We are.  The film crew started shooting every month for 2-4 days, from December 2007 to May 2008.  The crew was four people, the Producer, cameraman, soundman and crew assistant. Some people have expressed concern about our children being exploited or being put through undue stress.  We are a very loving family and our children just do not have much of the change of routine problems we hear that other families do.  Ammon would climb on the camera tripod and want to be picked up and hugged by all of the crew.  He was very persistent and got in the way of filming much of the time.  Sarah was going through a ‘sniffing everyone’ stage and did.  All the time.  When the crew followed Nephi at school, he introduced them to everyone they walked past, “This is MY film crew!”  The crew got a big kick out of that. The story is a piece on each of the children, with mom and dad comments throughout.  We have teachers from the schools and one of the doctors from the University of Utah’s Autism Research Project talk about their Autism.

 

As you know like yourself I’m a member of model me kids ( A great social network for autism ) Do you find it important to meet other parents of children with ASD and raise awareness for the condition? 

 

I really do.  It’s great to be able to find someplace that you like and are accepted.  Model Me Kids is the best I’ve found and I’ve been all over the Internet. (Thanks MT!)  There are too many places where parents fight, call names and are just plain nasty.  No one needs that, especially parents dealing with Autism already.  I just wish I had more time to be available to give comments or suggestions, but sometimes just getting up in the morning is a great day.

 

As it’s Autism awareness month would you be so kind to give us one reason to love and embrace autism. I know there are plenty but I only have the one blog:)

 

Love and embrace your Autistic child, advocate for them and get you and them out into the world so the rest of the world will know and love them too.  I’m not saying it will be easy, but I am saying it will be worth it.

 

Thanks so much for taking the time to speak with me John. I know you’re an extremely busy man and I thank you very much. Look forward to learning more and more about yourself and wonderful family. 

 

Thanks Claire.  Please ask your readers to be my friend on Model Me Kids (http://modelmekids.ning.com/profile/JohnKirton) and to visit and comment on our blog (http://autismbitestheblog.blogspot.com/). 

THE NEVER ENDING FIGHT

OK so your through the whole diagnosis part what next ?

If like myself you had to fight for your diagnosis you may fell pretty lost. Don’t give up!  Most of the services for ASD can only be used by those with a full diagnosis, which can take sometime! Once you have this you may fell that at long last others have been able to see what you see. There’s a reason behind the way your child acts and now he can begin to receive the help within the areas he has problems in. It’s so not that easy! I fell that I’m always frighting for my child’s right, I think that maybe this will be something I will always have to do. His school is a never ending battle, coming up against the education system is a battle I’m guessing may be one of the hardest you will ever face. Reason’s being are that everyone within this system seems to stick together, looking after each other. Maybe their are a few decent members behide the education system that do that little bit more then there “JOB” and really do the best thing possible for the child in question. I’m yet to see this.

I think the best support I have ever found for me and little man is right here on the net! There are some wonderful support groups on the Internet today. As well as support groups you will find some fantastic blogs related to autism spectrum disorders. I know that I have gained a great deal of information from other parents of children on the spectrum. It’s truly wonderful how these parents of children with ASD have come together in the fright for autism. I really didn’t know many people that were in my situation apart from a few so talking to others about G was hard. Friends tried there best to understand but it’s hard for them so it’s pointless really. But online I have made many friends that are parents of children with ASD, we have shared some fantastic conversations and had fun offering one another tips on different aspects of the condition. Twitter is one of the best ways to connect and share. I love it:)

All I’m saying is don’t think it’s all Rosie from here. Support don’t fall in your lap! You have to look for it and then ask for it! IF YOU ARE REFUSED IT!! FIGHT FOR IT!!!

UP AND COMING.

Oh yes, It’s drawing closer to my favorite time of the month. 

THE BIG INTERVIEW 🙂 

As many of you know last month was my first big Interview! It was a great, really enjoyed the interview with Cale Irwin a 20 year old with Asperger’s. 

This months Interview is going to be just as great. I was extremely pleased when Kyra Anderson contacted me. Mother to Fluffy and writer of  the fantastic blog  This Mom agreed to a joint interview with her amazing 8 year old son fluffy. Fluffy has Aspergers and is the same age as my little man so it was wonderful to be able to hear what life was like for fluffy and his mum. I received the interview back from Kyra today and I must say it is a fantastic and wonderful read that you really must read. 

THE BIG INTERVIEW IS NOW TAKING PLACE ON THE  20th OF MARCH, NOT ON THE 30th AS PLANED.

GREAT NEWS FOR APRIL !

John kirton will be joining the fun in the month of April ( Autism awareness month ) to take part in the Big Interview.  WOW I’m so looking forward to it.

For anybody that  don’t know John, he and his wife are the parents of six children on the Autism spectrum. This amazing and remarkable family have been featured in People magazine, appeared on Good morning America, inside edition Larry King. There newest project a documentary Autism x6 is currently being shown on the Discovery health channel. Check out the families website Autism Bites 

DATE FOR THE JOHN KIRTON BIG INTERVIEW TO BE ANNOUNCED

IN THE  FIRST FEW WEEKS OF APRIL.

Monday finds drawing to an end.

Today and next week will be the last of the blog feature Monday finds. Don’t worry a great new Monday feature will be started in it’s place. So watch this space, updates will be added through this coming week. Thanks to everyone that supported the Monday finds. I hope you all enjoyed it 🙂

THE SIBLING SUPPORT PAGE.

Yes it’s almost ready!  The sibling support page is still in the process of being created. Some great features are in the pipe line It’s a page that I hope will help many. There will be information and related links for siblings of autism, A problem page, listed events and more.

ARE YOU A SIBLING OF SOMEONE WITH AUTISM? IF THAT’S A YES WE WOULD LOVE TO HEAR YOUR IDEAS FOR THE SIBLING SUPPORT PAGE. TELL US WHAT YOU WANT AND WE CAN TRY AND MAKE IT HAPPEN.

My newest Autism related video’s

Time for a change! 

If you check my vodpod widget in my sidebar, you will find that the old five video’s have now been replaced with five new ones. All videos are autism/aspergers related. I change videos every  month or so depending on if they are being viewed a lot and the feedback I receive on them. Last months videos seemed to catch a lot of attention and there was some really great feedback on all five of the selected films that I chose to share:) Here’s hoping that my new selection does just as well. One of the videos is a British campaign video aiming to raise more awareness for children with autism and aspergers. It shows a group of kids at school with there attempt at bullying a boy in the playground. The video is very clever in showing how this situation could turn out if the attempt of bullying is aimed at a none autistic child and one off a autistic child. Very cleverly done you get to see the film in both situations. This is a film that some may find upsetting as bullying in itself can be a horrible thing to see.

I really do hope you enjoy the videos that have been selected and they bring both information and awareness 

Would be fantastic to her others opinions so please keep them coming:)

MONDAY FINDS ( WEEK 7 )

Oh my what a week’ and it’s only Tuesday. Yes you heard me right! Tuesday! I am indeed posting my Monday finds post a day to late. Please forgive me people for this time I did not forget ( which im pleased to say ) it was more to do with the fact that not only did there not seem to be anoth hours in the day yesterday, it was also that when I returned home yesterday I sat on my bed and that was in deed the very last thing I remember. Sadly it was not the case for big G! little G was sick and kept him up alnight.

Ok so as I have always said better late then never. So here are this weeks Monday find.

Autism London

Providing support for those affected by autism and Aspergers syndrome. They offer a great service with a forum and lots of advice. Check out there site where you will be able to check out some of there activities and events that they hold. You can also check out there fundraising and volunteer page. All this and much more at

http://www.autismlondon.org.uk  Helpline 0845 603 7954

Aspergers support

Aspie community which you can join for free and if you wish you can remain anonymous. Benefits to join are groups, stories, confessions, answers and much, much more.

http://www.experienceproject.com/aspergers

Iautistic

A great find that offers free books, test, games for children on the spectrum, videos and much more.

http://iautistic.com

The national autistic society

Have a look at some of the society’s special events in aid of Nas fundraising events. Your chance to really do your bit and get involved.

http://www,autism.org.uk

The sound of learning

Open house 18th March 2009. Practical solutions to learning difficulties

Sense ability 5th March 2009.

Sensory difficuities associated with autistic spectrum disorder. Dates to be announced.

The sound Learning centre Asperger’s syndrome event. For information on these and upcoming events please visit

http://thesoundlearningcentre.co.uk  Phone +44 (0)208-882-1060

RE..THE BIG INTERVIEW

I had the most enjoyable time doing the big interview with Cale. I’m looking forward to the next one which will be scheduled for the end of march. Stay tuned to find out who is up next. Let me just say it’s gonna great. Look out for the big Interview poster which will list the name of the next guest participating in the interview. Post will be up on the site within the next week and again a week before the event.

Interested in taking part? Then leave a comment with a contact email or email me at parkinson.claire@yahoo.com