...Can you hear us NOW?

I wrote this right after the second debate, I still feel the same way, so wanted to share it. We, as a community need to continue to ask the questions! We want answers from those running for the Presidency to those running for our local school districts. 1 in 88 CAN'T WAIT! Not for Federal legislation and funding, State legislation and funding, all the way to Local School Board Races! We have waited long enough for the Epidemic to reach a CRISIS! What EXACTLY is the plan?

Please, for the sake of all of those who are in or entering adulthood, for those going through High School and transition, down to the little ones with Early Steps...WE NEED ANSWERS! ASK THOSE QUESTIONS UNTIL WE GET THEM!

He is only 13, and growing...

 




24 hours ago, I watched the second of three Presidential Debates. I sat there holding my breath, hanging on every word. I just knew that they would say "IT". They had to! The Autism Community has been speaking with a LOUD Voice for two weeks. We have made signs, sent emails, Tweeted, and everything else we could think of. Yet again, they let us down. The candidates spoke of many issues during the debate, this one a town hall forum, where the voters ask the questions.

This should have been our chance to hear what we were asking for, recognition of the disorder that has risen 25% every two years since my son was diagnosed 10 years ago. 1 in 88...1 in 88 children born in the year 2000 were diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder by their 8th birthday. Austin was born in 1999. He has officially been counted. The thing is, my younger son Adam, born in 2002 has not been. Let's do some quick math. 1 in 88 plus a 25% increase...unless I am wrong (and I don't claim to be a mathematician), the rate for kids born when Adam was born would be 1 in 66.

Anyone getting nervous yet? Mr. President? Governor Romney? Do we have a plan? Have we started to come up with one? I mean no disrespect to either of you, I am asking for assistance from the highest office in our land. You see, in my house the odds are a bit different. My three beautiful girls are what we call neuro-typical, while both of my boys have Autism Spectrum Disorder, so here we are 3 for 5.

Einstein said, "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result."

I have said this phrase more times than I can count since Autism become a large part of my vocabulary 10 years ago. I use it at the school meetings when I am told that "This is how we have always done it". I have used it when speaking to the bureaucrats in Tallahassee while trying to get Evidence Based treatment for my son, because it is what his DOCTOR and his BEHAVIOR ANALYST agree he needs, yet their answer is "We don't cover that. We don't cover modifications to a home for safety, only accessibility."

Do we wait until children like my son manage to put their heads through a window or wander away because his little brother skinned his knee and I needed to be HIS mommy too?

From where I sit, we are facing a tsunami of individuals on varying levels of the Autism Spectrum who have not received treatment for YEARS. They are entering puberty, becoming bigger than their parents, graduating high school (if they were able to get the right supports), and trying to further their education or make it in the world that STILL WON'T discuss this NATIONAL HEALTH CRISIS IN A DEBATE.

When will it be important enough to those in power to start looking ahead and realize that we are NOT a small minority, but a VAST MAJORITY that have been touched and forever changed by Autism?

I know the "plan" is for Monday to be all about Foreign Policy, President Obama and Governor Romney, but as an incredibly proud American, I ask you to address this HUGE issue that we are fighting all day, every day, right here within our own country!

Done with his forehead about an hour before the debate.

Sirs, my 1 in 88 can't wait! PLEASE, put Autism in the Debates! We must all face this, before the numbers continue to climb.