Today is World Autism Awareness Day, and it is the Fourth
year that we have been painfully Aware of Autism in our family.
When Mikey was first diagnosed on January 30, 2009 just
before his 2nd birthday, the Autism rate at the time was 1 in 150,
by the end of that same year the rate jumped to 1 in 110, then 1 in 88 and now
only 4 years later, 1 in 50. When I
look at the numbers and the increase it is mind boggling and frightening.
Yet this is not all over every newspaper, broadcasted on
every channel, everyday. Instead what’s
important is what is Kim Kardasian wearing, now that is front page news!
Where is the outrage?? Where is the concern and support for
these children? Where is our humanity? Why isn’t everyone questioning HOW IS THIS
HAPPENING??!!! This is not something
that should only be questioned by the families directly affected but this is
something that should scare everyone. If the rate has increased this much in 4
years, what will happen in the next four years?? If you are fortunate enough to
have neurotypical children, what is going to happen when they have
children? What will the rates be like
then? What will it take for people to
stand up, stand together, take action and DEMAND that our government and its
agencies provide answers! Provide support!
Provide REAL research! Instead our government is cutting services
that these children and young adults so desperately need.
These 1 in 50 school age children will soon become adults,
many of which will not be able to work and support themselves, and the ones who
can may not be welcomed into the work place, so then what? For every penny that the government is
wasting now trying to ignore, cover up and hide, they will end up losing when
these kids are adults not able to contribute to society, there will be no tax
dollars to collect from people who are unemployed needing government funding
and support.
My son is 6 years old, he is completely non verbal, he is
still in diapers, he cannot identify not one body part, or one item in his
environment, he can only follow simple one step directions, and like many
children on the spectrum he suffers from terrible gastrointestinal issues. We have to pay for special doctors, special
diets, dietary supplements and unfortunately we will not live forever to pay
for his care. I drive him 30 miles each
way to school every day, because there are not enough appropriate school
programs for children like Mikey. There is nothing I would not do for Mikey,
nothing I would not do to make his life easier, to give him a real chance at a
normal life.
This Autism Awareness month I ask all of you to truly take
ACTION, write to your Senators/Assembly Members, ask them what are they doing
to help our children and young adults with Autism, ask what their plans are for
the future of these children? Look for
ways to bring Autism education to your local schools and community, and donate
to local programs that support these children, there are 1 in 50 children
counting on everyone’s help.
As I was driving my son to school today, I drove past one of
those big blow up rats, for a union that was protesting unfair treatment, and I
thought to myself, now there is an idea!
Perhaps we need to get a bunch of those rats and blow them up in front
of the CDC, FDA and every government office that continues to ignore our plea
for real help and real support. Maybe
just maybe then we will get some attention, hey it works for the union workers J.
