The Crusades

Dylan - He's lovely and beatiful and talented and charming and clever and sweet and sneaky and trouble and funny.

I want to raise awareness that children who have Autistic Spectrum Disorder can be all of those things.

I see autism being marketed in this package in which my sweet angel does not fit. When I tell strangers that Dylan has austim, they either look at me in pity and wonder how I keep it together raising a special needs child, or wonder if he can solve a rubic's cube in 10 seconds.

I try and make an impact on these people one at a time by sharing what a blessing it is to be this little monster's mommy, in the hope that they will know that autistic children are not monsters with vacant stares and hateful hearts.

My child is a brilliant smile with observant bright eyes and the best hugs kisses you have ever had.

I don't know when it became poplular to make autism the new worst fear for parents, but I'm doing what I can to change minds about this.

Are there those cases? Absolutely. But to have parents hear a diagnosis and think their child will never love them and never enjoy life... that's disgusting.

I want to be that supportive figure for other parents that I didn't have when Dylan's neurologist looked at me and matter of factly told me that he was PDD. I want parents to know that we are lucky to have these differently wired children. Every success with our child means so much more than every success any other parent of a typical child can experience.

Our autistic kids make us better people who are capable of feeling so much more pride, so much more...everything. We have to work so hard for that first word and for that first real connection. It's worth it.

So, I am going to need to become even more informed with all the resources that are available to me to be the beacon of hope that Dylan needs to me to be. Dylan deserves a world that doesn't pity him or fear him, but that respects him and accepts him.

I'm not going to let my Bear down. Every mother out there knows that feeling. You cannot/will not let your baby down.

While I'm crusading, I should probably start a Lylli Tolerance League or something, my mom would sign the petition immediately :) If we're being honest here, I need pity and sympathy for raising THAT kid.

Working on making a difference for my sweet and sour babies,

*Kel