Their Different Abilities

So, it has been over a year since I first posted on this blog. I recently rediscovered my blog after everyone in my family started blogging and I was feeling left out. :)

I originally started this blog when I was just finding out that my son has autism. That was a very hard time for me, and it was therapeutic to just read other parent's blogs about dealing with autism, etc. I love my little boy. I love that he picks up phrases from movies. His new favorite which I still don't know where he got it from, is "That was crazy!" It makes me smile every time I hear it. I love that he has perfect balance and thinks it's normal to sit on top of the piano or the entertainment center or to put the laundry basket on top of the couch and try to balance there like he's in his own ship on the waves of the ocean. He loves to see cause and effect. His favorite thing right now is to push the eject button on anything and watch it open...

My family got a surprise with our second child. We were relieved when she turned out to be a girl because autism happens more in boys than girls. She had the sweetest demeanor as a baby. She is 2 years old now. She is delayed in her speech. I love her so much though. She is the smiliest little girl, babbles in her own language. She recently got diagnosed with autism as well. It was not as devastating this time. We kind of knew it was happening. But she gets better all the time. She has pretty good eye contact with the people she knows and loves. She is so loving. She wants to be with other little kids and will go up to them and try to initiate...whatever it is she is trying to initiate. I don't know if it's play or communication. A lot of little kids are afraid of her though which is kind of sad because she doesn't understand personal boundaries, and she will "give hugs" which result in the other child falling to the ground. Cute to me...not to the other child.

What can I say, I was blessed with 2 children who will always be my babies. It is definitely not what I expected, but why would I want to change them? They make me happy how they are. I love their uniqueness and sweet innocence. I thank God every day that he blessed me with them.

His Different Ability

So I decided to copy my sister, Michelle, and start blogging. I am going to try to keep sort of a journal for myself about my sweet, silly, loving son who has autism. I liked the quote in a book I recently started, "Ten Things Every Child With Autism Wishes You Knew," by Ellen Notbohm. In it, she talks about how we need to see autism, not as a disability, but as a different ability.

That really intrigued me. Autism is one of those things in life that is just a major mystery. It is a challenge for those of us out there who are close to someone with Autism to understand what is truly going on in their brains. I have been websurfing all morning and reading other blogs from parents with autism, and I actually came across a blog from a boy who has autism. He wrote a poem that really touched me. His blog can be found at http://autisticmind.blogspot.com/

His poem said:

My poem
Happiness revolving, Spinning round me
Sadness yearning, Wishing they were free
Anger has died, hatred stopped
No more tears are dropped.

I've managed to turn that frown upside down
I'm the king of happiness, give me the crown
No longer am I hiding inside myself
No longer am I on the back shelf.

I will be seen
I will be heard
I will shout it to the heavens!
I will be feltI will be smelt
And it will smell of happiness.

posted by Broken Wings