Monday, January 30, 2012

The Really Big Post

Woman are awesome. We can sit around a table and drink coffee (or wine) talk for hours and pretty much solve all of the problems in the Universe. I love that so many of you amazing women stop by and read these words. I’m still shocked at the overwhelming response we have had to LifewithGreyson. There is a “stats” section I can view and I look at it in absolute awe. We’ve had thousands and thousands of visitors in the past week….people from Russia, Germany, the UK, Canada, Australia, Hong Kong, Mexico and Malaysia. Kind of blows this mom and her computer away. I am so grateful for you- reading this right now and happy that you are here at the beginning of something amazing and bigger than any one of us. I’m so grateful to every one of you that shared LWG on your Facebook page and with your family and friends. I am truly indebted to you.

I’ve also heard from many that you don’t have a Spectrum Kid to relate. We all love our kids like mad and we want the best the world has to offer them. There is nothing as strong as the love of a Momma or a Poppa. The unfortunate truth is- you don’t have to have a Spectrum kid to feel pain from life's hardships and parenting. No matter how hard we wish --there is no magic wand we can wave to make our kids lives easy and perfect. We are all united by that love, and when called to action, the love and sometimes the pain kicks in.


But I need more. I need your help Moms, and I can’t do it alone. I need more people to know about this joint. I can’t get this message out alone…If you are here with me, reading these words … Please share this blog with your friends. Put a link as your status update on Facebook, email a link to your mom or your friends. I need this for 2 reasons…

Not because I want to be famous, not because I want to be rich...

But because I need you to help me change the world. I need to create an awareness for Autism Spectrum Disorders and for all kinds of awesome kids that are “different”... so that my son can have the best life possible –a life filled with knowledge and acceptance.

My second reason is because there are Spectrum Moms out there and Spectrum Moms of the future that need to find these words. They need somewhere good and safe to go when they find out—and I will be here. I want them know that they are not alone... They need to know that life after sadness can be awesome…if you make it awesome…and it can suck- if you suck. (Smiley face.)

Please help me make the next 24 hours be the biggest LWG has had yet.

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Our Journey...

When I first realized Greyson was on the Spectrum, I moved through the stages of grief until I reached the last one…Acceptance….And after that, I came up with one single goal. My primary goal is to knock Greyson off the damned spectrum. If it can be done, I will do it. I will do whatever I can, whatever it takes to help him...and to help eradicate his autistic behaviors…

<span class=Like lining up cars...(don't worry if your toddler does this but has no other "red flags". It can also be considered a perfectly normal method of play.)

<span class=Mom likes to play Crash the Cars!

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Or we model the appropriate way to play with our cars...


I feel like I’m playing the card game, Go Fish with Autism…

OK Autism- I will allow you to change the way he learns…he does not learn through imitating me- he learns through repetition. Lots and lots and lots of it. Since I can not change that in his brain, I will change the way we teach him….I will allow that.

<span class=Grey doing his "Expressive shapes" Program.

However Autism, I will NOT allow you to make him play alone…I will facilitate interaction with others everywhere we go. He tells the grocery bagger hi because I make him. We walk up to new friends at the park or the store or the zoo and we say hello, we give high fives. We bring things to the park that will attract other children-- like bubbles and chalk and balls and cars --and my son will interact with others. One day it will come naturally for him. Sorry, Autism- GO FISH.

Bringing a Bubble Machine to the park is a guaranteed good time. Kids start falling out of the sky and multiplying...flying at you from every direction. It's like a huge unchoreographed flash mob. They all start to do this crazy- popping- contortion- bubble dance that makes you laugh out loud.

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These gals take bubbles seriously.


OK Autism, you have caused him to poorly metabolize proteins like gluten, casein (milk protein) and soy. I will allow you to change our diet accordingly. I will find new favorite foods for him free of these proteins.

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Where there is food...there is Belle the dog.


Autism, You have caused a language delay in my child. I will not concede on this one! We will go to speech therapy twice a week to get rid of you. We will work on speech at every waking moment at every speaking opportunity. We work through tantrums (autism’s way of speaking) and teach him that language is the preferred, easiest way to get what you want. He does not like language but he does like stuff and he is starting to realize that language gets you stuff! GO FISH AUTISM!

So, after this card game with Autism, I have decided if I can’t accomplish my first goal- I mean really and truly can’t knock him off, I will join him. He’s only two and I certainly won’t have him hanging from some damn spectrum all by himself. So there we will sit, Me, Michael, Parker, even the dogs on the spectrum with Greyson.

How will I do this, you ask? Reading…talking…thinking differently. At first I read out of a sickening fear…what will happen to my boy…his future…

Then I read out of passion and a sincere and beautiful desire to get inside my son’s head, to understand how he feels, to understand why he does the things he does. (this guy is cool. He’s a high functioning 24 year old individual with autism that explains many Autistic tendancies in a way a Neurotypical person like myself can understand.)

So that's where we stand now. I just wanted to share in case it can help someone else.

Now, I’ve got to run- I’ve got a University to run this morning. 2U part 2 is today!

4 comments:

  1. You took the words right out of my nouth! Yes there are some things in our world that my son will have to catch on to later in life, friends that my not have the opportunity to know him or adults that may miss out on his extensive conversations about a dozen different things, but I refuse to let Aspergers decide what type of life he leads or what the future holds for our son.
    Thanks, J Warburton
    Las Vegas, Nevada

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    1. Spoken with beautiful and sincere passion. I believe the sky is the limit for your son. Thank you for reading, and for sharing with me. Best, Chrissy

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  2. Chrissy,

    I will sit with you and Greyson and Michael and Parker as much as possible. I will bring my 3 treasures with me. We will have a blast. Autism has no chance on this ride. I love you. Thank you for sharing and I will share as much as possible.

    Nusara

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  3. I will sit with you all too! With my little man. We will all have a great time laughing, crying, and loving!!

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