Autism awareness personified --

Watching our children grow up in the world of autism and deafness, it has become harder for me to really be active in the community of autism, as it takes all our energy to just keep our children safe and well in the world.  It is hard to see outside our own lives.  I am grateful,however, that many people in the world, even people who don't have children or family members with autism, are working so hard to promote awareness and that today instead of being a rare condition it is becoming one of the most discussed and researched conditions.

I am hoping through my life to also work to be an advocate and learned person in the world of autism and deafness, which is the condition that most affects us personally.  That is an area of deficit today - there is little information or services on individuals with autism and deafness.

Here are a few:

• http://deafness.about.com/cs/multipledisab/a/autism.htm This web site contains this magazine pdf as well:  autism and deafness article, click on the second link after you clink on this main link. 
• http://www.raisingdeafkids.org/special/autism/
• http://www.mugsy.org/connor113.htm
• http://autismparents.net/deaf-with-autism/
• http://www.autism.com/families/hearingandvisuallyimpaired/networkfaq.htm

I am encouraged that there are way more than when I started these blogs in 2006.  I actually printed the Gallaudet University article (60 pages) and have read through about 30 pages of it.  We also are applying for Chris to go here:  http://www.nda.com/services/autism.php It will be hard to send him all the way to Florida, but it really sounds like they could meet his needs there.

I am also thrilled that I am back in school and headed for this degree:  http://www.kent.edu/ehhs/spa/index.cfm with http://www.kent.edu/ehhs/sped/index.cfm (the autism certification).  I also hope to get fluent in ASL either now at Lakeland (where I am currently attending) or at Kent.  I hope in the end I can be of more help to my boys as well as other individuals.

Thank you to everyone in the world working to make a better life for those touched by autism, as well as autism and deafness.