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Recently a post came through from a customer and we wanted to share it with you.
Yesterday a good friend sent an email with an award her daughter had won at school. It was a logo of the autism puzzle piece. Since April is Autism awareness month, this symbol has profound meaning to so many of us who float on the “spectrum”.
I am a professional Realtor, a writer, and a wife, and I have Aspergers Syndrome. The daughter I spoke of has Tourette’s Syndrome. And my son likewise has Aspergers, a high functioning form of Autism. We have friends that are both low and high functioning autistic, OCD, PDD ; the list is extensive. All are brilliant and challenged. The puzzle piece is so symbolic to us as it represents so many of us who are interconnected on the “spectrum”. We are all variations of a neurological disorder that presents each with both unimaginable opportunity and gifts as well as challenges throughout life.
When my son was first diagnosed, I was profoundly grateful for services from organizations like Adys Army who raise money to provide things that so many take for granted, like fences for your yard, or a trained service dog to help certain children navigate the emotional roller coaster of daily life with autism. It’s organizations like Adys Army who understand the complexity of the autism puzzle piece and help our children, and ourselves, obtain levels of success otherwise hidden from those with autism.
There are many articles on autism regarding causes, nutritional advice, parenting and services. All offer degrees of wisdom. From a personal perspective, it is only through dialogue with other parents and professionals that our community is truly interlinked. That is the meaning behind the Autism Puzzle Piece for many of us. Professionals like the ones offered through Adys Army are invaluable.
You can’t “see” autism and therefore so many challenges and labels are placed on both children and parent who must learn to navigate the preconceptions of those who do not understand the unseen symptoms of autism. The puzzle piece offers so much to those who feel alone, who seek to inform others on the myriad of symptoms, degrees and variations of those on the spectrum. We are truly an amazing lot and share our gift with some of the greatest minds in history, from Einstein to Steve Jobs. But mostly, the autism puzzle piece gives us a forum to let the world know that we are not disabled. We have a gift to the world that only we can give through our perspective and through our unique talents.
If you have a child with autism and need encouragement or help, you can gain more information on Adys Army click Here. Additionally you can follow our Blog for tips and links to these services and many more.
As a proud mother of a son on the spectrum, we hope to pass along the wisdom of experience and pride, not shame, that comes with our individual autism puzzle piece for many years to come.
