Blog Beginnings

"Are you the mother of the autistic child?" A school official asked me this question upon meeting me for the first time. A familiar storm of emotions began stirring in my body. Shock. Frustration. Hurt. ANGER! Thankfully a slow deep breath silenced those knee jerk reactions I was fighting so hard to overcome. "No," I answered, "I'm Bradley's Mom."

April is Autism Awareness Month. As a parent with a child on the autism spectrum, it is important for me to become an active advocate for autism awareness- for children on the ASD spectrum and for the families living with autism.  This mysterious and often misunderstood spectrum of developmental disorders desperately needs more parents educating others about their children.  Autism is not something that is easily understood because the symptoms of autism vary in degree from child to child.  I have wanted to begin a blog about this for a while now and have written 5-6 blog posts in my head already. After prayer and reflection I have realized that I need to blog about my experiences with the Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) for many reasons:

1. For parents who are seeking information for their children. While our children may vary in diagnosis and degree of symptoms, we can relate to certain situations and support each other in ways that others may not understand.  The best way we'll learn more about autism is through sharing research and education we have gained in our experiences.

2. For my family. I have a HUGE family. I have an even larger group of friends and supporters who I include as family. Some have respectfully and honestly asked questions about Bradley. They have asked me how they can understand him better. In the past it has been difficult for me to talk about autism because I was working my way through "The Stages of Diagnosis" (I'll dedicate a blog to this concept I have formulated) or perhaps I just wasn't sure what to say.  I want my family and friends to understand Bradley better and understand how my role as his parent and advocate affects my relationship with them.

3. For myself. In the past I didn't think I had many I could talk to about my experiences with Bradley. God has really put it on my heart to share my experiences not just for others, but as a way to help me learn and grow stronger in my effort to be a better parent for my children.

4. For Bradley. If you ever have the privilege to meet my wonderful son, I want you to be able to understand him. As his mother, I will be his advocate and will introduce you to one of the coolest kids you'll ever meet. I also want Bradley to be able to look back one day at how far he has progressed and how much he was loved by those in his life.

So the blogging begins. There is so much I want to share and such little spare time I have to type it all out. I am excited and hope that you will share these posts with others in your life.  If you know someoene who has a child on the Autism Spectrum, please share my blog. If you have information you have found helpful in caring for children with Autism, email me please! The best email to send info to is:     jodie_hutchinson@hotmail.com

Check out www.autismspeaks.org as an excellent, valid resource for autism information and research.

Finally, for my fellow Momma Bears out there who are wondering how things worked out with the school official I mentioned above... Today we work well together and I truly believe that individual genuinely cares for and supports Bradley in his learning experiences.  I'm thankful for her question.  While I was offended by it at the time, it has made me focus my efforts on Bradley's individual strengths and challenges and investing myself in becoming the best "Bradley's Mom" I can be.