The day my son was officially diagnosed as
Autistic, the hospital gave me a little book about autism.
I can't find it right now, so I can't tell you the name of it,
but I read it that night. It compared having an Autistic
child as going to Holland and a "typically developing"
child as going to Italy. They are both really nice places
to go. Italy may seem more glamorous, but Holland is very
beautiful also. At the time, I was annoyed by what it was
saying, but I guess I'm getting used to
Holland.
"Created
a database that will allow families dealing with autism to
register online, so if they're in a hurricane or other disaster
zone, they'll be called by volunteers to make sure they're all
right and see what kind of help they need." Autistic
kids get special attention, by Janet Kornblum, USA Today, Life
Section, September 22, 2005.
a
national support organization, which states its goals as:
To bring the issues of autism from individual
homes to the forefront of national dialogue.
To join parents and professionals in one
concerted effort to fight for these children who cannot lift
their voices to the nation for help.
To educate parents about pending
legislation and existing laws.
To
educate parents about biomedical treatments and behavioral
therapies.
To assist parents of newly diagnosed
children by providing direction through a parent-to-parent
support hotline in an effort to network families across the
country.
To raise funds for biomedical research,
behavioral research, and projects.
To Work to increase
society's ability to work with and understand people with
autism.
To help those on the autism
spectrum reach their greatest potential in leading
fulfilling and productive lives in relationships, society
and employment.
To
educate
parents to the danger of mercury to the developing brain
of children both born and unborn.
