Bring on the Blues....

As in, lighting things up in blue.
You know.
For autism awareness.
I'm wearing blue today.
Are you?

 

April 2, 2013
 World Autism Day

An inspiring blog, by "a sassy crafty mama bird from Los Angeles raising a very sweet little girl with autism in the Midwest... and stuff."

Autism Awareness

Yep.  It's that time again.  April.

Yep.  It's poetry month.

But April also hosts a pretty important topic.

Autism Awareness.

Now, you might think, "Why do we need to have a month for THAT?  It's something people deal with every single day!"  That is true, but..... it's pretty powerful to have a month where everyone focuses on EDUCATING others about AUTISM.  For 30 days, people who may or may not be connected to autism share information, encourage others, and promote awareness in general.

In my web-travels, I stumbled across this great article by someone from the Friendship Circle - 10 Ways to Support Autism Awareness Without Writing a Check.  April 2nd has been designated Autism Awareness Day by the United Nations.  Across the globe, people "light it up blue" in an effort to spread autism awareness.  What struck me about this article is that it's possible for EVERYONE, ANYWHERE to show support and increase awareness, without spending a dime.

So no more excuses.  Let's get moving.  Here are a few to get you started, but be sure to check out the full article, it's short and sweet, and chock full of ways that YOU can make a difference in the lives of someone different.

2. Offer a kind compliment to a family that you know is struggling, you never know how much a genuine compliment warms the heart.
5.  Stand up and speak out if you hear someone being unkind to someone with autism, or any disability/difference, for that matter.
9.  Add a little note to your prayers, including those who care for and have autism, offering them compassion and tolerance.


P.S.  If you're not sure what autism looks like, here's a great read about the 20 Faces of Autism.

Challenge 1, Part 2: Self Soothing

Continuing with this challenging topic, moving into self-soothing, where I struggle even more, has been an interesting process.  Again, keep in mind, as negative as this might seem, I do know that things can only get better and easier, which is the silver lining on this whole process!  I think that compared to self care, self soothing is a whole different ball game.  My ways of soothing myself, of calming myself, aren't the healthiest.  So once again, a heck of a lot of effort gets put into this area as well.  I am super sensitive to light, sound, texture, temperature, all that stuff.  It poses a challenge more often than not, but I'm getting better at figuring out (with the help of my therapist and team) how to work through these sensory overload situations.

This might sound childish or corny, but I am very much a texture person - I love the feel of softness.  If I'm having a really hard day, I may tuck a scrap of this ultra soft cuddly fleece into my pocket, just so I have it for comfort.  I have super soft sheets for my bed, and a blanket made of the ultra soft fleece as well.  In addition, I do have a few stuffies that live on my bed that are perfect for when I need to wrap my arms around something and just hold tight.  All the softness is really comforting.  Strangely enough, as much as I hate the dentist, I like the feeling of having the lead vest covering me.  It is really helpful in grounding me when I get too spacy.  I have looked into weighted blankets that are helpful for those with autism, and due to costs, I'm hoping I'll eventually be able to make my own?  Not that crafty, so we'll see how that goes!

Other things I do at home to self-soothe include napping, reading a familiar book (it's like visiting my best friends,) and listening to music.  I also like to do yoga, and find a few restorative poses can be really helpful.  Sometimes I'm just so disoriented and upset, that all I can do is curl up in a ball and breathe, but you know what?  It works.

When I'm not at home, it's a little tougher to self-soothe when I get into a bad spot.  I do carry Xanax with me (and would not be able to survive without it) which is great because of it's near instant impact.  It usually gives me enough time to get refocused without going into a full on anxiety attack.  Carrying the little bit of fabric helps too, cause the softness can easily be run through my fingers without drawing attention to me.  Considering I teach grade school, my students often have little fidgets in their hands, so they see it the same and love that their teacher uses fidgets too!  Strange as this may sound, if I'm struggling, sometimes I will call my therapist's voicemail, just to hear her voice, which has a really calming effect on me.  At home or out and about, sometimes a walk outside (if the weather is cooperative) can also help.

While I know that many of my self-soothing tools are rather childish, they're what I've got right now.  Eventually I hope that I don't get as overstimulated and am better able to regulate just through breathing or what-not, but for now?  You gotta do what you gotta do, right?!

Arielle's Word-of-the-Day: WARRIOR

June Blog Challenge Day 6: WARRIOR

I know this mom, and she is pretty incredible.  She's been through a lot in her life, yet, she still wakes up every morning and manages to take on whatever the day brings - sometimes she does it in style, sometimes just gets it done.  Her determination, dedication, compassion, honesty, kindness, her attitude toward life... well, pretty much everything about her is inspiring to me, and I'm very lucky to call her a friend.

She's one of those Warrior Moms.  She's engaged in what will now be a battle for the rest of her life to advocate for her adorable, beautiful, smart, and oh-so sweet little girl.  Her little girl, fondly known as LB, has autism.  And this warrior mom is working non-stop to help her daughter reach her full potential, and leave her mark in the world.  Actually, LB already has left her mark... in the hearts of everyone she meets.

Check out her blog if you'd like - the tagline "A sassy mother warrior from Los Angeles raising a very sweet little girl with Autism in the Midwest" says it all!


 
Prompt: What do you envision when you see this word? Do you embody it? Does someone you know? Do you like the term warrior? Hate it? Go!

Autism Awareness 2012

Today is Autism Awareness Day.  

People everywhere are wearing blue.

Why?

To raise awareness....

Did you know that 1 in 88 children are diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder?

Did you know that 1 in 54 boys are on the spectrum?

Did you know Autism is the fastest growing developmental disability?

(check out lots more facts here: I'm Just That Way)

Throughout the month of April, people all over are lighting it up blue to promote Autism Awareness.  If you buy a blue bulb from Home Depot, they will donate to Autism Speaks to raise awareness for Autism.

So what are you waiting for?
Go out there, get a blue bulb, and make a difference!