April is just around the corner and we know it's Autism Awareness month. Do you have plans to Light It Up Blue?? We keep our light on our porch blue all year.
Have you considered contacting your mayor, city council or other city offices to request that they LIUB?? Here in Memphis I worked with the Mayor's staff & city council and we are proclaiming April 2 Autism Awareness Day in Memphis. I did it ALL by email. So you have a landmark or historic monument in your city?? Contact them and see if they will LIUB! How about your zoo "Let's go Blue at the zoo".
I am copying the email to our mayor & council members you can use that as an example to email your city officials.
Dear City Council Members,
I wanted to let you know that autism is the fastest growing disability in the world 1 in 88 kids are being diagnosed that's one child EVERY 11 minutes! That's frightening. I understand first hand the affects that autism has my son Noah is 10 and he has autism. Autism affects communication skills, social skills and behavior, it varies with each child.
Autism Speaks has a yearly campaign to Light It Up Blue for Autism Awareness it has grown buildings across the world are participating. http://lightitupblue.org/Markslist/home.do. Last year I was successful in a campaign to light Graceland up blue. I also participated in the Light It Up Blue ceremony in Hernando MS, the mayor there declared April 2 to be Autism Awareness Day in Hernando. I ask you as the City Council & Mayor Wharton to consider proclaiming April 2 to be Autism Awareness Day in Memphis. Would you also consider Lighting City Hall Blue for Autism Awareness? I would love to discuss this with you all, I know that you are extremely busy but I would love to hear your thoughts.
Thanks so much for your time,
Please do a little brainstorming and get your neighborhood to LIUB, local businesses, schools, colleges the possibilities are ENDLESS!!!
Saturday, January 19, 2013
Sunday, December 9, 2012
AUTISM STRONG - The Autism Parent, the Hopeful Parent
An Autism Parent is the most hopeful of individuals in the world, when your kid was diagnosed you were probably told a number of things they wouldn't be able to do.....maybe they still can't do some of those things but do we give up hope NO, NEVER. Do our kids give up on us?? NO, NEVER. Even in the midst of a meltdown over his stuffed Bowser loosing an eyebrow, you deal with it and move on!
We never stop hoping we never give up...we may feel and appear defeated at times with the bite marks, the bruises and handfuls of hair we are not defeated we are AUTISM STRONG!! There are some misconceptions about who we are, WE ARE NOT VICTIMS of this disorder we are moms, dads, sisters, & brothers who just need a little more understanding & compassion. We are a stronger family BECAUSE of autism. We are not victims we just want what is best for our child just like other parents.
Just remember we are AUTISM STRONG, we take more in one day than most parents handle in a week or more!! We were given this position because God believes we can do it!!
We never stop hoping we never give up...we may feel and appear defeated at times with the bite marks, the bruises and handfuls of hair we are not defeated we are AUTISM STRONG!! There are some misconceptions about who we are, WE ARE NOT VICTIMS of this disorder we are moms, dads, sisters, & brothers who just need a little more understanding & compassion. We are a stronger family BECAUSE of autism. We are not victims we just want what is best for our child just like other parents.
Just remember we are AUTISM STRONG, we take more in one day than most parents handle in a week or more!! We were given this position because God believes we can do it!!
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Friday, November 9, 2012
Tote Giveaway from "31 Gifts"!!
Divas With A Purpose, Dorinda's Diva Shoppe and a host of wonderful bloggers and entreprenerial divas are excited to bring you this great giveaway to officially kick-off the giving season here at Divas With A Purpose!
One lucky reader will win a pair of Thirty One Gifts Utility Totes - one large and one medium! The medium utility totes are a new product introduced this month and can only be ordered through November 26th!
This prize is sponsored by Michelle, an Independent Consultant with Thirty One Gifts and the diva behind Divas With A Purpose.
The utility totes are great organizational items and have tons of uses. Michelle's favorites - organizing toys and clothing in her children's rooms; the guest room as a welcome basket for out of town visitors; and a toy bin for each of her children.
These totes and the entire Thirty One Gifts product line are a great, and affordable, way to transport your products and advertise your business.
You can enter up until 12:01 AM, Saturday, November 17th.
Good Luck and thanks for your support!
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Thursday, November 8, 2012
Social Media & the Autism Mom
I know most of you have seen or heard something to the effect "I love my computer-My friends live in there". Some may think this unfortunate, to ONLY have friends in your computer....well not to me. You see I am an autism-mom, my life revolves around BOTH my kids. The "typical" one and the "not so typical" one.....we are also a home school family so we seem to always be together. So my "computer friends" are some of the closest friends I have.
The majority of my friends are autism moms too and they "understand" me. They understand the significance of Noah snapping his pants for the first time.....they understand what it's like to have an awesome dentist appointment for the 1st time (without the kicking and screaming!)......they understand and rejoice with me when Savannah & Noah are caught playing together!! My friends understand what the word "meltdown" means.
As the parent of a child with autism by NO MEANS makes me an authority BUT as autism parents SOMETIMES we know more than the doctors & nurses who are seeing our kids. "Typical" parents don't get it. They can try to understand but in their mind Noah is 10 what's the big deal about snapping his pants, their kid did that at 4 years old. I have yet to encounter the support that I receive from my Facebook friends in the "typical world".
One of the first Facebook page I came across was Grape Jelly on Pizza and it stuck I loved the name and my list of autism page likes grew & grew & grew and is STILL GROWING! I am excited to read about other kids that have the same struggles as Noah but I especially love to rejoice with them when milestones are hit.
As parents of a child with autism we are truly BLESSED that we get to see the world through the eyes of our beautiful child there are SO many things that Noah has taught me & shown me that I would have missed without him!! Thank you God for giving me this exceptional child that will open the hearts of each person who is privileged enough to know him!!
The majority of my friends are autism moms too and they "understand" me. They understand the significance of Noah snapping his pants for the first time.....they understand what it's like to have an awesome dentist appointment for the 1st time (without the kicking and screaming!)......they understand and rejoice with me when Savannah & Noah are caught playing together!! My friends understand what the word "meltdown" means.
As the parent of a child with autism by NO MEANS makes me an authority BUT as autism parents SOMETIMES we know more than the doctors & nurses who are seeing our kids. "Typical" parents don't get it. They can try to understand but in their mind Noah is 10 what's the big deal about snapping his pants, their kid did that at 4 years old. I have yet to encounter the support that I receive from my Facebook friends in the "typical world".
One of the first Facebook page I came across was Grape Jelly on Pizza and it stuck I loved the name and my list of autism page likes grew & grew & grew and is STILL GROWING! I am excited to read about other kids that have the same struggles as Noah but I especially love to rejoice with them when milestones are hit.
As parents of a child with autism we are truly BLESSED that we get to see the world through the eyes of our beautiful child there are SO many things that Noah has taught me & shown me that I would have missed without him!! Thank you God for giving me this exceptional child that will open the hearts of each person who is privileged enough to know him!!
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
When Things get Overwhelming
This is not a post about Noah or anything funny related to autism it's about feeling overwhelmed as a parent. How do we keep on keeping on?? I read parents with children with autism suffer from PTSD like a soldier?? Why is everything so hard? Why do I always feel like I should be doing MORE?? Why all the guilt?? Just as things are going good uh-oh roadblock!!
This is just life happening but sometimes things just suck. I have always heard when one door closes another opens....please open a new door quickly for our family!! I am a firm believer in prayer so thatis where I will be the next few days!
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Who's Shoes ID Kit Giveaway
These are great for writing your child's information on, these are also included in the NAA Big Red Safety box that they giveaway periodically. Please enter you must like 4 Facebook pages to be entered. Thanks and Good luck!!
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