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Saturday, April 21, 2012

Beaches, Dancing, and Meetings oh my!

Hi all!

Some pretty exciting things happened this week for Caleb this past week. On April 14th, thanks to an awesome friend, I attended my very first Autism Forum. It was a wonderful collection of different business, organizations, and programs catering to the families of children or adults who have Autism Spectrum Disorders. It was hosted by a local church, Brookwood Baptist Church.

It was my first attempt at networking filled with information and amazing people. Not only did I get more information but I was able to meet families just like ours. Before I go on I would like to give you a couple of links so you can check out the guest speakers who gave presentations.

The first was Ms Gabrielle Martino. She work with Disability Rights of NC. She had some really awesome things to say and for parents like me who struggle to get everything in order after the diagnosis it was very much appreciated. From her we learned some effective and efficient ways to be self advocates for ourselves and our children. If you have never heard of the organization and are interested in what they are about please visit the link below.

http://www.disabilityrightsnc.org/

The second speaker was a very special young man. I was completely in awe of him. His name is D.J. Svoboda. At the age of three, he was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder with Psychomotor Retardation. Not only was he in the midst of this forum teeming with people, he was conversing with people and showing them the world he created. Imagiville. It is a wonderful world full of colors and beautiful people. Some of them have disabilities and some dont. He speaks out against bullying and lives by the policy "Everyone Is Special Just The Way They Are". Some of the proceeds from the sale of his craft are contributed to the Autistic Society and his church. I highly encourage you to check out his website and explore his craft. It is nothing short of amazing. Here is the link.

http://www.myimagiville.com/information.php?info_id=4

From the Autism Forum we walked away with two local organizations who cater to Autistic children, disabled children, and those with health issues. I know I keep beating a dead horse here but these people were amazing.

This past thursday, Jon, Caleb, Andrew, and I attended our very first meeting with the Onslow County chapter of the Autism Society of North Carolina.

 http://www.autismsociety-nc.org/

Not only did we get to socialize and converse with other families and caregivers of autistic chilren, but the kids also got some play time with other kids with the disability. It was phenomenal! They included Andrew as well as Caleb. They had a fantastic time playing with other kids. Not freakouts at all. I was amazed.

Our guest speaker was a representative from a company called Juice Plus. It is a whole food supplement designed to make sure people are getting their daily recommended servings of fruits and vegetables. Because many children with Autism disorder have sensory issues, food and nutrition are sometimes hard to keep up with. Check out their products, I know we will

https://www.juiceplus.com/nsa/content/Welcome.soa

Yesterday we attended a family event for B Co in Jon's battalion. They hosted the even in order to give thanks to a very special lady who made it possible for the entire company to travel to New York to bury a comrade who succumbed to wounds he sustained in combat.

Caleb had only two incidents which weren't that bad compared to others he has had. I took him down to the beach and he was content to play in the sand until it was time to go.

Over all I think it was a pretty productive week. To have had no therapy as of yet, I am pretty proud of that little guy.

Autism fact for the day. There are three types of Autism Spectrum Disorder. Autistic Disorder, Aspergers Syndrome, and Pervasive Development Disorder- Not Otherwise Specified. Look them up, you will be suprised at what you will learn.

Until Next Time,

One very proud Mom

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