Saturday, April 2, 2011

Autism Awareness




This is one of the faces of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). It is also a face I adore. Most of the time he is a happy and affectionate young man. Sometimes he gets overwhelmed by the sensory information he experiences. He will shut down (sleep) and let his brain recover or perhaps cover his ears or start running and running.
Other times he needs extra stimulation...he loves movement and is drawn to moving vehicles and swings and chase sequences in films...touch and seeks hugs and the lovely feeling of water especially the differences between above and below the surface (unless its cold).

We worry about him, his innocence and his vulnerability and his knack of knowing when you are not fully attentive. Things can go easily happen then.

All my friends with children on the spectrum have "lost" them for a minute or much more. They don't answer, they know where they want to go and go, they know what they want and when to get it. No-one can be that attentive. So we panic when they gleefully run off in a book store, knowing there is a road outside and more than one exit, when we realise they can get into a cupboard and possibly hurt or poison themselves. Many of us have to lock up our houses like "Fort Knox" to keep our precious child safe....and that is still not enough. Every 6 months or so we hear on the news that another one of our gorgeous children has been killed by a train or a car or has drowned. It hits all of us hard.

Because they are precious: they are our fascinating mysteries wrapped in an enigma, frustrating and beguiling and pure and exhausting and adorable. They drive us crazy as I'm sure we do them (and the weird strange world we live on). They need our help, our understanding and our love. The simple act of a kiss or the word "Mummy" is the greatest gift that so many people take for granted.

Liam understands so much and so little. He has the most expressive face. He has autism, but that doesn't make him a different species any more that a person with diabetes or cancer.

We also forget that every one of us has autistic traits. So how different are we really? A little understanding, acceptance and patience goes an awfully long way.

Well I'm off to give m y little treasure a hug and a tickle. He loves being tickled and I love his gleeful laughter.

Hugs, Sharon

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Breaking the Ice

Well...I'm not quite sure what to say...
I would have said I was disappearing for a while or a season or two, but it was totally unplanned. Then I wasn't sure how to break the ice. its not like I had a good excuse. And as far as the world is concerned...the news has just been heart-breaking. The one in a hundred year events seemingly all happening on a weekly basis. So many people have lost so much. All my family is well...and safe. I have much to be thankful for.

So what am I doing here now...well I've been waiting for the heater man to come since the end of last week, my Homespun has decided to wander off on its own and my jaw has been throbbing since Friday. So as I was stuck at home, in a disagreeable mood and I thought perhaps now was the time LOL Pathetic really!!!

Yesterday was my 29th wedding anniversary, I'm turning 50 this year and my baby (for 19 years until Liam) got married last year. Wow that went fast. It doesn't seem quite right really.
He (Simon) even got me onto facebook...well when your sister rings you and asks what you thought of the photos and how he is posting stuff during his honeymoon...well I am human LOL
Then Adam and Naomi went to Japan (which they loved)...such beautiful people they said. They weren't as far north, but....

Christmas went well...fortunately there are 12 days of Christmas and I finished my last gift on the 11th day (well except for the one I have yet to send). New Years eve was wonderfully calm and quiet. Perfect!
I kind of shut-down over January...it went on so long that I have realised that I had been doing it for years (just never as long before). Perhaps it was the weather...why anyone would ever voluntarily have a sauna is beyond me. It was a weird summer.
Now my beautiful boy is back at school, which he just loves and I've come out of my slumber :)

Hugs, Sharon