April is Autism Awareness Month, and the rate of children
being diagnosed with Autism have been skyrocketing over recent years. In 2012, 1 in 88 children were diagnosed with
autism and autism spectrum disorders (ASD).
Statistics, however, are insignificant to the children and their
families who navigate through life with ASD.
They are our neighbors, our classmates, our friends, the people we stand
next to in line at the grocery store, and those who we sit next to at
church. They are average, ordinary
people who oftentimes have extraordinary minds and amazing potential. This is a tribute to the people whose lives
have been touched by ASD.
To the teachers and professionals who embrace our children
with ASD by demonstrating patience and compassion. Thank you for taking the time to educate
yourself about ASD and to adapt your techniques for their specific needs and
unique learning styles. Thank you for
your positive and upbeat attitudes, for rejoicing in their triumphs, and for
going back to the drawing board when your students face challenges in the
classroom. Thank you for the
encouragement you give your students and their parents, willing to take the
journey with them.
To those few teachers who see the child with ASD as a burden
and therefore burden your students and their parents with your requirement that
they change to meet your needs. You may
believe that your ASD students won’t succeed in the classroom environment if
they aren’t able to learn at the level or pace that you expect of them. I pray that your eyes will open to see that
you have the power to either empower or crush a young spirit. If you just take the time to get to know them
and think outside the box, you may discover a treasure in the heart of a child.
To the parents and grandparents who love their children
unconditionally. Thank you for your
commitment to your child and for coming along side them regardless of daily
struggles. You may have shed tears and
lost sleep because of the challenges you know your precious child will face at
school and in life. Thank you for your
resolve to do everything you can to help them adapt to the classroom and
everyday situations. The time, money,
and commitments you have made to give them the best resources and help
available. For the times your spirits
rejoice as your child overcomes obstacles to meet everyday challenges head
on. Thank you for your hopes and dreams
and for accepting your children as they are.
Finally, to the true heroes—the children who may recognize
that they are a little different from others around them and have struggles
that we couldn’t imagine. They didn’t
ask for this condition, yet they are forced to change their thinking patterns
and their way of doing things so that they can meet the social and academic
pressures of our society. We have no idea of the stress placed on their little
hearts each day as they strive to do their best. These children often desire to do normal kid
activities, to love and be loved, and to find their niche in life. They are a blessing from God with rare and remarkable spirits.
There are several well-known trendsetters and celebrities in
our society who reportedly have ASD—actors, models, painters, musicians,
writers, poets, and scientists. Computer
genius, Bill Gates; actor, Dan Ackroyd; and American Idol finalist, James
Durbin (to name a few) reportedly have Asperger syndrome. It is also speculated that Albert Einstein,
Thomas Edison, Mark Twain, Emily Dickinson, Michelangelo, and Wolfgang Amadeus
Mozart probably had some form of ASD. If
we think outside the box and look at our children with autism and ASD a little
differently, we can see that they were designed to be unique and extraordinary
by a loving and creative God. When these
brilliant minds are nurtured, they have the potential to be amazing
contributors to our world. Just think
one of these children may hold the key to finding a cure for Cancer or
Alzheimer’s. The possibilities are
endless. Take a moment today to remember
our everyday hero’s who face ASD in their daily lives and who make our world a
little better.
“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in
my mother’s womb. I praise you because I
am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full
well. My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed
body. All the days ordained for me were
written in your book before one of them came be.” Psalm 139:
13-16
RESOURCES
For more information about autism and ASD, check out these websites:
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