Our diagnosis story is similar to most of the ones I've read here... I'm the mother of Ryan, almost 6 and autistic, Richie, almost 3 and Maelynn, 15 months. Ryan does not communicate well, does not express needs or illness unless it's very general, and then we're not sure if it's echolaia from a speech program (at times he'll repeat "I feel sick" robotically). He is at a social/emotional 2 1/2 year old level. He is amazing... very smart, musically inclined, and is the sweetest little guy you could ask for.

My other two children are developmentally typical, and they adore their brother! I've even seen my Richie, on several occasions, try hard to stim just like Ryan, watching him from the corner of his eye. Richie does not care that Ryan is different. He loves his brother with sheer, unadultered, unbridled adoration that only a child can express. Our life is tiring and often difficult, and even going to church is a challenge. We feel isolated in a lot of ways, just by the nature of what we deal with. We live in a small town in central Texas and it's a sweet little place to be! It really is! But the resources for Autism and any other special need are few and far between.

I know what it's like to desperately want to know your child... to want to do the best you can for him, but be in between a rock and a hard place. We love on a teacher's salary, and God always provides what we need... but so often when I do get the rare opportunity to speak to someone who also has a child on the spectrum, they spout off resources and things we "simply must" do for our child... things we haven't been afforded. The best thing we hear? Seriously? "I have no idea what you're going through, but I'll listen and I'll pray." The "I know a child who does so and so" and "why don't you just do so and so" and other well-meant comments, in addition to being so tired of being told "oh, Ryan can't do..." or "Ryan can't come in..." well, you see. They have worn on my already weary heart to the point where I just want to be home, where we all belong and we're all safe and accepted. Where we all know we're doing the best we can to provide what all of us need. I love church... I love Jesus more, though.

I will carry my children, all of them, regardless of ability level, regardless of how they fit into culture or how well they sit still and listen to instructions... I will continue to carry them to Jesus, because He knows and loves all of us! God made our children, He knows them better than we do. I don't know where Ryan hurts, but He does. Ryan can't tell me or anyone else his name, but whether or not I understand how he does it, I believe that the Holy spirit speaks for him, just as He does for me when I'm at the end of my rope. When I'm hurt, sad, and scared... when I've overheard one more person make a comment... when we're left out of yet another something... He feels my pain, and He helps me recover and start over again. His Word soothes the stings of insensitivity and ignorance of others, and He gives me patience to explain, yet again... or keeps my mouth shut so that I don't make things worse. He gives me the smile on my face and the song in my heart. He restores my soul! He gives me the peace of mind and the joy I need to make it not only through another day, but the next hour, or minute at a time on the hard days. He gives me the wisdom through His word to make some sense and to remember that He is in control of it all, even the things that don't make sense. Thank you for this site, thank you to everyone who shares. This is one of the very few times I've felt understood, and that is precious.

More of our story is at thischristianmomsjourney.blogspot.com, simply because God gives my every experience that it might comfort someone else!

It's going to be alright, everyone! Cling to Him!

Hi im a Los Gatos high school student and im doing a research paper on the oppression of Autistic people. Part of my research paper includes an interview with an organization that is helping Autistic people. I was wondering if you would take the time to answer the following questions for me,

1. Do you have any statistics of how many children are affected by this disablitly?
2. Do you find that the disbility is getting better/made progress with special schooling and therapy?
3. Do you feel that the Autistic people are oppressed becasue they are misunderstood or feared?
4. Do you have any uplifting stories that i could share with my class?
5. Do you have any information that i could share with my school on how to help autistic people live a more productive and engaging life?

I really appreciate your time and input and look foward to your reply.

My nephew is autistic but able to express himself very well verbally.

He is only 7 years old and had the insight to ask his mother this question: "is it worse never to be loved or to not be able to love?"

(He has asked numerous questions of a similar kin, which seem beyond the understanding of a 7 year old child of normal intelligence. I am a teacher and have taught children from 5 to 8 years old for many years.)

He is loved by many people but I'd like help with the second part of his question. Can a person with Autism LEARN to love others if they don't have the ability presently?

How will I be contacted if there is a response to my question?

Thank you for your help!

My name is Jerrod and I'm a senior at Pulaski High School in Wisconsin. I recently wrote a newspaper article for the Pulaski Newspaper, and it talks about me about what I have to go through everyday at school.

Here is my article it took me 3-4 weeks of writing and editing and aking it good, hope you like it as much as i do.

My name is Jerrod and I have a type of autism called Pervasive Development Disorder (PDD). No, you didn’t happen to just accidently wander into an autism anonymous meeting; this is my attempt to give you a glimpse into my world and the world of other students with autism. Evryday, my alarm goes off and around 6:15. I roll out of bed and begin preparing for school. I have to get dressed eat breakfast, take my medication, brush my teeth and put on my shoes.
While I’m on the bus, some of the kids try to bully me, but I refuse to fight them (I’m not that kind of person) so I just ignore them, the best I can, and wait until we get to school.
During first hour, I attend gym class. The biggest problem I have in gym is that I have trouble keeping up with my classmates. After recent foot surgeries, I am still limited by the pain and had to take a week off of gym. Even though I was able to rejoin my classmates a week later, I’ll still likely have to have more foot surgeries in the future.
Besides struggling because my surgeries, gym class is also hard because I don’t have any friends in this class and often I end up being paired with someone I don’t know to do activities like weight-lifting.For now, I just look at it as another obstacle I have to overcome. (Sometimes I feel that there’s an obstacle around every corner while I’m at school, but I just deal with it and keep going.)
After gym, I have business class. I like it, but it’s a bit fast-paced for me. I find the material interesting and enjoy the projects (one of our projects is to make our own business and I really like that) but sometimes I wish it was slower paced.
My next class is Pulaski News, and it’s my favorite class (and, no, I’m not just saying that because my article is in the paper) but I enjoy writing for a newspaper that is distributed throughout the public and enjoy the hands-on aspect of the class.
Passing time in-between classes is tough because there is a lot of noise and people hanging out and I wish I could join in their fun.
Fourth hour I have math class, however, I take math through an online program called Odyssey, which is nice because it reads the problems out loud. This is a big plus since sometimes reading more complicated material can be difficult for me.
I’m supposed to do my math work during fourth hour, but lately I’ve had to use that time to make up missed gym classes. I will have to be sure to catch up my math when my gym class is caught up. I worry about this a lot even though my teachers reassure me it will be okay.
During fifth hour, I have study hall, which is a nice chance to slow down and make sure I’m caught up on all of my work. At least that is how it is supposed to go. Sometimes it takes me a long time to catch up on my work so I don’t always finish my current work, so I often worry about completing everything on time.
Sixth hour I work in the school guidance office as part of my school’s work experience program. The program is designed to help students to prepare and develop skills that will help them once they’ve graduated from Pulaski High School. As part of my job description, I run passes to students and teachers, make copies and just generally help out in anyway I can.
The last hour of the day I have art class. I like the class and making the projects, but sometimes it’s a little difficult to keep up with my classmates who always seem to be a few steps ahead of me. I am trying to work through it the best I can. I know trying my best is all I can do, but it is hard to be okay with that.
Finally, at 2:48, the bell rings and I make my way to the buses to head home. I like to get on the bus first and get one of the back seats. I think I should get a back seat since I’m a senior. Sometimes the other students pick on me on the ride from school, but I just tough it out until I get home. A lot of time when I get home I need to rest and shoot hoops to help reduce stress from the school day.
While I know the education I am receiving as a student at PHS is important and necessary, I wish I had more of an opportunity to make more friends among my classmates. Often, other students are confused by my condition and do not know how to react to me.
This is especially difficult since PDD already makes it hard to meet new people and understand other people’s intentions. I think I have gotten better about it as I have gotten older, but it sometimes still bothers me.
While students with an ASD may require extra time and assistance in the classroom and a few other everyday situations, it’s important to remember that we still want to be treated normally, like everyone else; ask me about autism, I’m happy to talk about it. I want to help others understand ASD disorders.
My story is just one of the 730,000 individuals in America living with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). With no known cause, and so many variants of the disorder, it’s important to remember to treat those with ASD like “normal” people. As one of my favorite, famous individuals living with an ASD Temple Grandin says, “I am different, not less.”