Autism awareness needs a big strong bounce!

               Autism awareness, the reason I began this blog, are we doing enough? I am going to go out on a limb here and say no. I began this blog to reach out to people who don’t know a lot about autism and really don’t have the motivation like an autism parent would to read all the medical and neurological information available. I wanted to reach out and open minds so on the outside looking in there would be a better understanding. That and helping other parents not feel so alone and maybe putting into words what they can’t explain to others. I like to think I have been somewhat successful and I do know from being told some minds have been opened. It’s a great feeling when you accomplish what you have set out to do.

                It is not easy to grab the minds of people who aren’t affected by autism yet or even people who have been and just never really understood. It is possible though and I see a lot of awareness being spread that isn’t reaching out and busting down those barriers. I am going to go out on another limb here and good possibility my limb will break with this statement but autism awareness seems to be spreading like wildfire, between autism parents. A great thing, we need each other in a bad way but is it breaking down the barriers like we so badly want for our children? Sometimes I feel like it might not be.

                It seems to feel like a big rubber ball bouncing around the autism world and everyone once in a while a story comes up that gives that rubber ball a big enough bounce to go over the fence where the non effected live. Eventually the ball comes back and continues to bounce around again waiting for another strong bounce.

                The question is what can we do to bounce that ball so hard it just keeps on bouncing around the neighborhood? One thing that comes to mind is simply kindness. People react to kindness even people who aren’t being kind will remember a kind face or word. Another thing that would do everyone some good is realizing each person in this world is neurologically different from the next, Autism or not. I don’t have any answers to community events or a grand master plan to create the ultimate awareness project although in my mind I can picture a modern day, peaceful autism Woodstock taking place. Not going to happen any time soon but it’s not a bad idea that’s for sure.

                What I do know is this, autism awareness needs to bust out and reach people outside of autism to create the understanding we desire or we are really just raising awareness to people that are already aware.  I also know after writing this blog I may need to get out of the house because apparently my mind is set to hang on limbs, bounce a rubber ball around the neighborhood and outdoor concerts.