Public Witness

Sometimes one of the simplest things to do on the list of things considered "advocacy" is also one of the most difficult.

Today I joined just over a dozen other people at the Board of County Commissioners meeting for Calvert County.  We were there to officially receive a proclamation from the board declaring April as Autism Awareness month in Calvert County.

It was super simple for me to do. I just put on my blue sweater and walked two blocks to the court house.  I was in, had my picture taken, took some time to socialize with the others who were there for the same purpose, and back home within an hour.  I didn't have to speak.  All I had to do was show up and smile.

But the journey to get here was anything but simple.  If you had told me five years ago that I would be doing this, I would have asked "why?".

Because five years ago autism was a problem other parents faced.

Sure, I had seen my share of teens on the spectrum when I was teaching, but it had not impacted me in such a way that I was aware of the challenges families face to get a diagnosis or treatment.  It was no big deal to me because it hadn't impacted me personally.

Funny how much your life can change in five years.

My son was diagnosed as having high functioning autism or Asperger's syndrome just two years ago.

Wow.

Just two years?!

When I look back at the struggle we had to get him diagnosed and the struggles we have had to get him to not only remember to take his meds, but also actively participate in some of the social/behavioral therapies over those two years it hardly seems possibly that it's only been that long.  Some days it seems like much, much longer.

Then I look back.

I am so grateful for the awesome teachers my son had in kindergarten and first grade when we lived in Vermont.  Even though at that time we thought he "only" had Lyme disease and Babesiosis, they looked at the symptoms and treated him accordingly.

I am grateful for friends and family that supported us in our decision to pursue testing and evaluation which ultimately led our 2e (twice exceptional) child to be "labeled" as an honors student on the autism spectrum.  Yes, it's possible... in fact, it is fairly common.

I am grateful for the teachers, administrators, Autism Project teachers, church youth group leaders, Boy Scout leaders, and other adults who interact with my son and celebrate his unique qualities while guiding him toward socially acceptable behavior in a world that sometimes overwhelms his senses and challenges him in ways other children his age may not struggle with.

I am grateful for patience with those adults and children who do not know how to interact with my son without engaging in behavior which feels like bullying or at the very least a severe lack of compassion.  I pray for them to understand... but I pray they do not need to go through hardship to gain that understanding.

And then I look forward.

One of the mothers there today shared her joy that her autistic child will graduate high school this year.  She was barely able to hold back her tears of joy.  When I spoke with her after the proclamation she shared some struggles they still have, but also commented on just how far her daughter has come.

We've been fortunate.  Jeffrey is very high functioning.  We never had to worry about speech delay (Jeff has always had an advanced vocabulary, so much that until we forced the issue, the schools were willing to overlook some articulation issues and challenges with perceptive language).  We are fairly certain that Jeff will go to college and pray that he will do well there.

But it is still troubling to think of him as an adult, functioning independently.  That is the ultimate goal - to help him become the best adult he can become.  And that means helping him navigate more than just academics.

Praying for a positive experience as we help him through the next six years of school and of life.