Spread The Word To End The Word

I'm sure that by now most of you have seen this commercial from the organization Spread the Word to End the Word, but I had to share it here.  I had to share it because I simply don't understand why I hear the "R" word so much.  I don't understand how the same young men who are one minute discussing astrophysics on an elite college campus can turn around the next minute and call each other "retarded".  I have to say that when I was growing up we used the "R" word all the time in school.  We would say someone was retarded or their idea was retarded.  We didn't understand the connection to real people.  I'm so glad that there is a campaign out there to raise awareness about how this word can hurt.

Because I Knew You

I have had a song from Wicked stuck in my head recently.  I put the soundtrack on my iPod after seeing the musical in May and falling in love with the show.

The song is For Good and here are the lyrics:

I'm limited

Just look at me-I'm limited

And just look at you 

You can do all I couldn't do, Glinda

So now it's up to you

For both of us-now it's up to you...

I've heard it said

That people come into our lives for a reason

Bringing something we must learn

And we are led

To those who help us most to grow

If we let them

And we help them in return

Well, I don't know if I believe that's true

But I know I'm who I am today

Because I knew you...

Like a comet pulled from orbit

As it passes the sun

Like a stream that meets a boulder

Halfway through the wood

Who can say if I've been changed for the better?

But because I knew you 

I have been changed for good

It well may be

That we will never meet again

In this lifetime

So let me say before we part

So much of me

Is made of what I learned from you

You'll be with me

Like a handprint on my heart

And now whatever way our stories end

I know you have re-written mine

By being my friend...

Like a ship blown from it's mooring

By a wind off the sea

Like a seed dropped by a skybird

In a distant wood

Who can say if I've been changed for the better?

But because I knew you

Because I knew you

I have been changed for good.

Sometimes I feel like this song could be the soundtrack of my days at work.  I am relatively new to the field of special needs and don't have everything worked out yet.  I haven't figured out how to avoid the holes that are being poked in my heart.  I haven't figured out how to sit by a mother's side, tears streaming down her face, as she looks at her daughter who will die in the next few years.  I can't figure out how to hug and tickle that little girl, looking into her innocent five-year-old eyes, and imagine her gone.

I can't figure out how to reconcile the vastly different experiences that happen in an average day at my job.  How do I go from comforting this grieving mother to watching a two-year-old take her first steps? I watch this little girl's mother, happy tears streaming down her face, her smile beaming with pride, and I beam with her.

I recently had a falling out with a friend over her (and her husband's) stance on special needs kids.  They could not see the value that these people bring to the world, a value I see every day.

I have a whole new appreciation for my life.  Not only because I feel grateful for the skills I usually take for granted, but mostly because I get to know these little souls.  I get the privilege of seeing them grow and change.  I get to see first steps and hear first words.  And I realize that for every hole poked in my heart by the sad reality of life, a band-aid is waiting to cover it.  Band-aids in the form of hugs and kisses, laughs and high fives.  These are the things that make life worth living.  And I have been changed for good.

Are We Paying Attention Yet?

Today the CDC released a new study which estimates that 1 in 100 American children have an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).   This is up from their previous estimate of 1 in 150.

Are we paying attention yet?

Please, do your research before vaccinating.  Whether you choose to vaccinate or not, you will have the power of knowledge.  I know this is a touchy topic, but I don't feel that I can keep quiet on this.

Here are a few books that I can recommend if you are interested in Autism, its causes, prevention, and treatments.

Evidence of Harm: Mercury in Vaccines and the Autism Epidemic: A Medical Controversy. by David Kirby

Autism Spectrum Disorders: The Complete Guide to Understanding Autism, Asperger's Syndrome, Pervasive Developmental Disorder, and other ASDs. by Chantal Sicile-Kira

Mother Warriors: A Nation of Parents Healing Autism Against All Odds.  by Jenny McCarthy

Louder Than Words: A Mother's Journey Into Healing Autism.  by Jenny McCarthy

Animals in Translation.   by Temple Grandin

Knowledge is power.

Go claim yours.

A Question For The FDA

If you need to see it larger click here
.

Yes We Can DAN!*

*DAN! stands for Defeat Autism Now.

If you are so inclined, please head over to Carly's Blog and prepare to be moved.  

At the top of the blog there is a link to a 20/20 interview with her.  It is just amazing.  

You can also watch it on YouTube here.

I know that I am guilty of not giving people with Special Needs the credit they deserve.  I think we can all agree that some serious research needs to be done into early brain development, allergies, sensory development, and yes, the possibly detrimental affect that vaccines have on our children.  

After you watch this, and pick yourself up from the puddle of tears it has turned you into, you may want to check out these sites to learn a little more about Autism.

Defeat Autism Now

Autism Speaks

Generation Rescue

Easter Seals

Autism Research Institute

Little Miss Partly Sunny

I've been thinking recently about how much whining I can do without thinking about it. 

It's not necessarily out loud, but an internal dialogue that seems to find fault with many situations.

But I have been attempting to change this.

Don't get me wrong, I am not suggesting that it is healthy to be perma-positive.  

I think that it is smart to want more from life and seek it out.  

But here is the question: Do I acknowledge one good thing for every negative thing I complain about?

If you are like me the answer is probably "no".  

I consider myself a positive person.  

I do well in a crisis and can usually see the sunny side of a situation.  

But the internal dialogue is what I am getting at.

For those of you who don't know, I work in the disabilities field.  

The non-profit organization I work for serves adults and children with disabilities. 

I work in the Early Intervention area of the organization.

That is, I deal with the under 3 crowd.

I have thought to myself on many occasions, "How is anyone born healthy?"

It's amazing to see how many problems can affect the life of a child.  

Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Trisomy, Tetrasomy, Speech Delay, Hypotonia, Seizures, Blindness, Deafness, Prematurity, Feeding Tubes, Transplants, and the list goes on and on.  I see these and more every day.

What's more amazing is that life goes on.

When I am thinking things like:

"My commute is taking too long."

"The TiVo deleted my show."

"There was a mix up at the store and I got charged $5 too much."

Parents of these amazing children are thinking things like this:

"He will never walk."

"She will never talk."

"What will happen to our family?"

But more often than not, they come across as "Partly Sunny".

They know their child is not going to meet the same milestones as other children.  

And they continually work on adjusting their expectations.  

It ends up sounding like this:

"He just took his first step!" - He's two.

"She learned to sign 'more'"

"We have an amazing support system."

"We will love him as long as he is here."

It's difficult to constantly hip-check yourself when the negativity arises.  

I think about some other blogs by people facing tougher situations.  

Were your newborns able to come home from the hospital with you?  They weren't.

Did your wife get to hold her firstborn? His didn't.

Are all of your children alive? Hers are not.

Did your child live more than 100 days? He didn't.

Can your child be understood?  His can't.

I guarantee that the blogs above will touch you.  These people never shy away from talking about the tough stuff.  

I do not like to have what I call the "starving children in China" mentality.

It's no use constantly beating yourself up for feeling down or like you want more.  

It's healthy to have times when you are not completely satisfied with life.

However, it's no use to compare your life with another person's.  

That is not why I brought this up or linked to these stories.  

I just think that we can all learn a little about enjoying what we have.

Be grateful for what you have.

Strive for better.

Complain less.

Celebrate the small things in life.

Love your family and say it out loud.

Okay, stepping off my soapbox. 

Therapy sessions run $200 an hour.  I take cash, check and PayPal.  

I don't accept insurance (but really who has it anyway.  What is this, a Socialist state?!)

 

(DISCLAIMER: I don't agree with the political/religious views stated on some of these blogs, but their stories are worth looking past that.)