April is autism awareness month and today in particular is autism awareness day. People from the autism communities are "lighting it up blue" today as part of the Autism Speaks campaign to help raise awareness. I'm not 100% sure what the point is of wearing blue clothes or lighting up monuments but I guess if it gets people thinking a little about autism then it is a good thing. But for some people like me, we don't just think about autism, we eat, sleep and breathe it every day.
Today was the last day of school before the Easter break. L was happy to 'dress down' in his own clothes, a welcome change from the nightmare of 'onesie day'. We got up this morning and all was good until about 2 minutes before we left the house as L decided to blow some bubbles but saw the bubble wand was missing from the bottle. There was no time to look for it as school beckoned so cue L screaming all the way to school and me trying to distract him and calm him down. Fifteen mites later, with him still cry and shouting, we turned the corner into school. A little girl was crying standing next to the lollipop lady and that was the switch to instantly stop L's upset as he asked me what had happened and why she was crying. And that was it. Upset over and away into school happy. And my nerves were shattered. Again.
Autism is such a funny thing, one minute everything is great and it just takes the smallest thing to turn it all upside down. And then another tiny thing to turn it all back again. Quite often with L, he can flip out and be screaming and shouting for a length of time (I've had HOURS before) and then such a strange random thing can stop him in his tracks. He is all happy and smiles and playful and I'm still reeling and shaking from the meltdown. A roller coaster is indeed a good word to sum it up.
Today 1 in 68 children is diagnosed with autism and it is thought that by 2025, half of all children born will have autism. That's only ten years from now. It is the fastest growing developmental disorder. So raising awareness can only be a good thing but tomorrow when autism awareness day is over and everyone is carrying on with their daily lives, there are people like me who never stop thinking about it. People like me who live with it day in, day out. And lighting up in blue the Eiffel Tower or the Empire State Building doesn't take away or help the challenges that my child or other children like him face every day.
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