Last April I wrote this… AUTISM REALITIES
It saddens me to confirm, progress is not always a reality in many households.
Parents are being told to light it up blue, to pay for walks or to use a puzzle piece to show awareness towards autism.
These meaningless symbols do not represent actual needs. These meaningless symbols do not create opportunity to enjoy quality of life. These meaningless symbols keep parents in a circle of false hope as autism continues to challenge everyone’s existence.
Autism is not easy. Autism is complicated. Not everyone understands autism.
Economics, politics, science, philosophy and all the forces of the universe have us in this conundrum and we the parents do what we can to the best of our abilities.
My thoughts this year:
We want action NOT #awareness
We need #mediainclusion
We need real options, steps to follow to seek quality of life…
Don’t dare highlight blue lights in April when…
A parent tried to kill her child with #autism
A teacher verbally abuses a student
School districts violate federal law
Law enforcement is not 100% trained
Bus drivers and teacher assistants rape girls
30% of marriages end separated or divorced
Moms have #PTSD and #Depression due to lack of support from doctors/therapists/academia
Academia is behind in thought process and suggestions how to live/handle/manage the diagnosis
Doctors diagnosing still tell parents there is no hope, this is how your child is going to be and will end up in an institution
Ignorance and fear reign rampant
Insurance companies limit or do not cover the wide array of therapies that can help achieve quality of life
Teachers to be do not receive appropriate training prior to working with our kids!
Individuals with severe autism are poorly served by the organizations claiming to support their needs
Poverty reduces the possibility to seek quality of life – parents are not given the opportunity to learn about self-entrepeneurship or become acquainted with their rights
Per the CDC – now, 1 in 36 kids have developmental disabilities
and tons more…
Talk to my daughter and I, we have tons more to share… We do not demand a perfect world. We simply want things to improve and we are ready and willing to be a part of the process.
THE EYE (12/2017) by Thomais V. Moshopoulos
This creation is the result of a question asked to my daughter – now that she can talk —
I asked: “What do you see?”
She answered: “I used to see rainbows”
I asked: “Do you still see rainbows?”
She answered: “Not anymore”
I asked her to draw what she saw and this is the result.
