Does Your Child Know That It’s Autism Awareness Month?
April 4, 2008 by Kristina Chew, PhD
Filed under Health
A few days ago I asked does your child know that he or she is autistic?—-and now, after Wednesday’s World Autism Day and April being Autism Awareness Month, here’s another question in the same vein:
Does your autistic child know that Wednesday was World Autism Day and that this whole month is Autism Awareness Month?
I don’t like to speak on behalf of Charlie but have a few thoughts on this particular topic. First, no, he’s not particularly aware that Wednesday or this month are focused on him or, rather, on what he “has.” Charlie hardly needs to be aware of autism. When I think about all the news reports, special features, talk shows, general media onslaught of stories about autism that have been circulating, I suspect that most would not hold his interest and no way would he be watching anything on Larry King.
This is not to say that Charlie is not aware of things around him. There has been something very unusual about this month so far and it has thrown things off-balance for Charlie all week:
The bus driver has been sick.
And, the substitute bus driver (who has, understandably, been getting lost, stopping in the parking to make phone calls for directions and instruction, and showing up at odd times) is driving a different bus. It’s an older model yellow bus with a lower ceiling, dark green seats, and the smell of “older bus.” The transportation agency did not inform us that the bus driver was sick; had it not been for the bus matron sitting in the front, we would not have known that it was the right bus for Charlie to take.
But it must just not feel like the right bus—feel right—-to Charlie. Today at 2.45pm after a fine school day he started to cry and say “no go home,” and he was still crying when the bus pulled up. I figured that he would be less happy after school this week as, last week, my parents met him at the bus every day (they went back home to California last weekend; I am “just mom”—what can I say!). The bus rides between home and school are a big deal to Charlie and we’re going to have to make sure that, in the future, we know (so Charlie can know) when the usual bus driver is sick, and the bus is different.
Charlie was unsettled all afternoon. His long-time speech therapist came and he asked for a lot of breaks and kept reaching for his blanket (but an online jigsaw puzzle absorbed him). We went for our usual walk up and down the hill and he kept his hands over his ears. We went grocery shopping and Charlie surprised the checker when he picked up a canvas bag over-stuffed with frozen food, a container of watermelon, two packs of sushi, breakfast bars, and boxes of crackers. “Both hands,” I said and showed him to hold one handle in each hand.
It was late when we got back home, but Charlie took his time to take each item out of the bags one by one and carefully consider where to put them. “Shrimp in the freezer,” I said as Charlie was placing a bag on the top shelf of the refrigerator. He stopped, looked ahead, stepped back and opened the door of the freezer. After seeing where other bags and boxes had been placed, he placed the bag of shrimp in the dead center, then took out a pack of shrimp sushi, got a plate and a fork, sat at the table, and called, “Mom, Mom, sit. Mom.”
If you ask me, someone’s pretty aware about something around here.
Sounds like Charlie loves to have company when he’s eating. I am the same way, I don’t like to eat alone, it’s so much better having someone there.
He sure is growing up, strong fella he is, pretty soon he’ll be helping you lift things Mom!
I love reading about Charlie, he’s one cool kiddo.
Maizie loves loves loves online jig saw puzzles. She especially loves the ones on Animal Planet. What sites does Charlie like to go to for the puzzles?
M did not know about World Autism Day. I mentioned it to her in passing and she had no interest.
Bug didn’t know it was Autism *month* but he Did know it was World Autism Day on Wednesday. He was with me at the Clinton Rally when Hardball taped at WCU the other day.
I just told him, he said, “Oh, ok!” Teenagers…lol…
Has the role of an activated strain of HHV-6 in autism been given enough attention in the autism community?
In 1986, HHV-6 was discovered in AIDS and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome patients. It was thought to be a possible co-factor in AIDS until it was found to be widespread and then was ignored for years.
But now, new more precise tests are showing that it may be playing an important role in medical problems that involve the brain, the heart, the stomach and the immune system (for starters). HHV-6 seems to have exploded in the population starting in the early 80s. There will be a major HHV-6 conference in Baltimore on June 19, hosted by the discoverer of HIV and HHV-6. The NIH seems to be granting the virus new respect.
Given that the rise in activated HHV-6 problems seems to overlap in time with the perceived rise in autism, maybe these hypotheses should be put on the table for exploration and debate:
1) Activated HHV-6 is the cause of autism.
or
2) Activated HHV-6 is an autism co-factor
or
3) Activated HHV-6 is a factor in some cases of autism
or
4) Activated HHV-6 makes cases of autism worse
I hope this is some food for thought.
I have 2 boys on the spectrum. When my oldest, who is 12, heard the words “World Autism Day” on television he asked “Do we get presents?” He had a point.
We are home on spring break so we baked cupcakes to celebrate. I don’t think our party was what Autism Speaks had in mind for commemorating April 2nd.
My boys are here to stay. It isn’t always easy but we feel blessed. I think we will have cupcakes every April 2nd.
My kids could have cared less, as well. They are just worried about getting to the weekend.
My oldest has been wearing a tee shirt with a picture of a donkey and two hamburgers. Get it? Ass+Burgers= Aspergers. No one has got it yet at school. I asked him if he wanted to talk about autism for world autism day and he declined.
Amigo knows because he watches TV news. We’ve talked a little during the features on autism; I want him to know that when they’re emphasizing “heartbreak” and “tragedy” that’s not how we feel about him. Not at all.
@Marla,
Charlie likes Jigzone.com and Kidzpages.com—there’s a way to upload a photo and make your own jigsaw; haven’t done that yet!
I tried my darndest to get my lil’ future television announcer to do a PSA for Autism Awareness for youtube, but he claims he doesn’t have it, and better yet, it’s for babies! What does one say to that?
Pretty “aware” I’d say!
My son Nick knows that it was awareness month and when I am taping things that are about autism he asks why since I am usually watching it as well.
He watches some shows with me, not Larry King on autism but Larry King with Jack Hanna. He did like something we watched a few years ago that was from BCC on a boy with autism who got a dog and made all the difference. The dog was named Thomas since the kid liked Thomas the tank engine train.
Just read another report about a therapy dog in the NY Daily News too.