Autism Awareness Month 2016

As Autism Awareness Month comes to an end, I am finally having a moment to write my yearly Autism Awareness post. 

In the Autism world, it is so easy to be consumed by hoplessness.  It's an overwhelming diagnosis with life-long implications.  As the years ticked by after Josh's Autism diagnosis at 4 years of age, things only looked gloomier and more hopeless as more and more diagnoses were tagged on and more problems ensued.  By his second psychiatric hospitalization at 8 years of age and the warning by the doctor that it most certainly would not be his last hospitalization and things would get really rough once puberty hit requiring constant medication dosing adjustments to compensate for fluctuating hormone production, we were left with worries about the future and realization that we would need to start planning for his adulthood and his needing care and supervision for the rest of his life.  I stopped dreaming that someday he would be able to get married recognizing that it was just too impossible.

Fast forward 3 years, and our hopes for the future have drastically changed.  Instead of doom and gloom and the impossibility of independence as an adult, we see a bright future, and I have begun praying that God would raise up a godly spouse for him one day.

What has changed? EVERYTHING!  This metamorphosis began when we started using essential oils over 2 years ago then incorporated natural supplements all while getting rid of typical personal care and household products that are toxic switching to natural stuff I make with natural ingredients to keep us safe and healthy.  Then began a greater scrutiny about the food we used and the process of eliminating processed stuff and switching to more organic choices.

With each change we made in our daily habits and choices, we saw more and more changes for the better.  The two-year transformation began with instability and a threat of a third hospitalization due to the 10 drugs a day he was currently taking not enough to keep him stable.  Fast forward two years, and Josh is only taking 1 drug a day that he has been slowly weaning off of over the past 2 years and will be fully weaned off of by the middle of June according to his doctor's wean plan.  With each drug he weaned off of, he became happier, more compliant, and more stable.  We have been discovering more and more aspects to his personality that had been locked inside him unknown to us.

The medical world has things all backwards when it comes to Autism.  They treat symptoms with drugs that often make the person have a flat affect and zero personality.  While some behavior therapy recommendations are made and can be effective in helping a child cope in our world, progress is painfully slow.  What is often overlooked and neglected is the availability and success of natural things and diet.  God created all things for our benefit and good, and mankind has done a lot to taint it or ruin it altogether.  We need to get back to the way God created things!

This year, I began a new learning journey into the world of healthy diets and was blown away by what studies are out there regarding the implications of a leaky gut and the benefits of cutting out inflammatory foods from the diet.  While this information is helpful to every human who wants to be healthy, it has HUGE implications for people with Autism.  After reading the literature available, I decided to take the plunge and eliminate gluten from Josh's diet (I had already eliminated artificial dyes and flavors a year prior to that).  Surprisingly, he went from a jittery, fidgety, easily irritated kid to a calm and collected child who hardly gets irritated.  After letting him have gluten for one meal around the Easter holiday and having a difficult next 1.5 days of increased irritability and hyperactivity, he reset and went back to his new norm.  That was enough to convince us of the importance to avoid gluten for good.

In March, we embarked on a journey as a family beginning the Cellular Healing Diet by Dr. Pompa.  It is a pretty involved diet that heals the leaky gut, helps the body rid itself of toxins, decreases inflammation, and improves cellular health.  We believe this is the final key for helping Josh fully recover of his Autism and other issues.  From the changes we have already seen since starting the diet, we are getting more and more confident of the end results.

There is hope!  Don't ever let anyone or any doctor convince you otherwise.  Never give up fighting!  Don't accept a doom and gloom prognosis.  There is always room to improve and excel.  Don't discount God's power to do the impossible!  Josh's prognosis seemed dismal and improvement seemed so impossible, but God is greater and more powerful!  He has directed us to the right people and the right resources, and with the change to natural solutions and healthy diet, Josh is on the road to full recovery!  God is amazing!

Psalm 147:11 - "but the LORD takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his steadfast love."

Finding Grace Through Autism

Another year has come and gone, and here again, I am sitting to write a post in honor of World Autism Awareness Day (April 2) and Autism Awareness Month (April) as we Light It Up Blue for Autism.

Joshua is now 10 years old.  In some ways it's hard to believe that he's been alive for a decade, but in some ways, it feels like it's been forever.  This year has been an incredible year in some ways and a difficult one in others.  Through the good and the bad, I have found God's grace carrying us through.

It's officially been a year since we began using essential oils to help Josh with his Autism, Bi-polar, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, and ADHD.  The oils have made an incredible difference in his ability to function, focus, and remain stable.  It's been an exciting year of weaning down on his mood stabilizer medication helping to improve his health and weight.  Because of the supportive effects of the oils, we have seen several aspects to Josh and his personality that we didn't realize existed!  We are thrilled to see and know our son for who he really is not what his Autism makes him appear to be.  It's been astounding and thrilling.  God's grace in leading us to choose to use essential oils has transformed all of our lives this year!

This year has been a tough year with Josh's wraparound services which provide him with a Behavior Specialist, Mobile Therapist, and Therapeutic Support Staff therapist (TSS).  We are currently on our 5th provider in 1 year!  We've had nothing but difficulties with consistent staff, proper support at home and school, and proper recommendations.  We just switched last month to the 5th agency and are still without a TSS which is the most critical therapist of the group.  As a result of all of the issues, Josh has been thrown off balance so many times.  His symptoms are all aggravated by the unrest and unknown and frustrating circumstances of providers not doing what needs to be done.  I have been at my wits end trying to negotiate things with the providers and the insurance company.  For once, the insurance company isn't the problem.  They have thankfully been wonderful through this whole ordeal.  Dealing with these issues since November has felt like another full-time job for me.  It's only God's grace that keeps me going during the difficult times when I just want to cry and give up fighting!

After 6 years of therapy to try to get Josh to recognize his feelings and emotions, use his words to describe his feelings and emotions, and then match appropriate coping skills to help him with those feelings and emotions, this year, Josh has finally begun expressing in words how he is feeling and telling us what he or we need to do to help him work through those feelings and emotions.  It's been so wonderful to be able to intervene before a melt-down occurs.  As a result, our home and lives have been a lot more peaceful.  Often, Josh will turn to essential oils to help him calm down.  I was certified in a specialized massage based on science that uses essential oils to bring the body into a homeostatic state, and Josh likes to have me do this massage on him when things get really overwhelming.  We are thankful for God's grace in bringing us to the point where Josh is independently identifying his feelings and asking for or using a proper coping skill.  It definitely makes parenting him so much easier.

Now that Josh is older and more aware of himself and people around him, he is really struggling to accept his Autism and other diagnoses.  We have had to deal with a lot of tears and tough questions: Why did I have to be born with Autism?  Why does life have to be so hard?  Why do I struggle with an angry mood?  Why do I always feel so fearful?  Why did I have to be born?  Why did God make me this way?  How come I keep praying that God will help me get over my anger but He never seems to make me better?  Why is everything such a struggle?  Often we feel so inadequate to have the answers to these hard questions.  We call for God's grace and wisdom to help us get through to our son's grieving heart.  We try to help him understand that God has an amazing plan for His life and that God made him perfectly - there are no mistakes in how God designed him.  We don't understand why some people's struggles are harder than others, but we can be confident that God will give the grace to keep on keeping on.  We call on God's grace to protect our son's faith as it often wavers during these doubting, questioning times.

Parenting Josh has made us stronger, more compassionate parents.  We are more understanding of others around us with varying disabilities.  I can be more sympathetic to my patients and their families because I get what it's like to deal with a child with special needs.  Dealing with a special needs sibling has made David a stronger person.  He is more compassionate, understanding, and patient with other children as a result.  God's grace molding our lives through His design for our family is evident.

Dealing with the times of crisis is extremely difficult.  Thankfully, we haven't had as many as we usually do because Josh is doing so well with the essential oils.  However, because we've had several months of calm and stability, when a crisis does happen, it makes it that much harder to cope with because we finally had a taste of peace.  David has been in therapy for a year now to deal with his trauma and anxiety symptoms related to growing up with a brother with Autism and other challenges.  It's been a tough year for him as he has a hard time talking about his feelings and dealing with the uncertainty and scariness of Josh's crises events.  David is learning to lean on God's grace to carry him through these difficult times just as we have to cling to God's grace to keep taking each day as it comes when we are so emotionally and physically spent.

I am so thankful that God's grace remains a constant when our lives never are.  God's grace sustains us through the good times and the bad.  Often, I find myself singing my favorite hymn "Day by Day" just to remind myself of God's goodness, grace, and strength to get me through each day.  "Day by day, and with each passing moment, Strength I find to meet my trials here; Trusting in my Father's wise bestowment, I've no cause for worry or for fear."

Day by Day by Karolina Sandell Berg

Day by day, and with each passing moment,
Strength I find to meet my trials here;
Trusting in my Father’s wise bestowment,
I’ve no cause for worry or for fear.
He, whose heart is kind beyond all measure,
Gives unto each day what He deems best,
Lovingly its part of pain and pleasure,
Mingling toil with peace and rest.

Every day the Lord Himself is near me,With a special mercy for each hour;
All my cares He fain would bear and cheer me,
He whose name is Counsellor and Pow’r.
The protection of His child and treasure
Is a charge that on Himself He laid;
“As thy days, thy strength shall be in measure,”
This the pledge to me He made.

Help me then, in every tribulation,
So to trust Thy promises, O Lord,
That I lose not faith’s sweet consolation,
Offered me within Thy holy Word.
Help me, Lord, when toil and trouble meeting,
E’er to take, as from a father’s hand,
One by one, the days, the moments fleeting,
Till with Christ the Lord I stand.

To hear a musical rendition of this hymn, go to this youtube site.

World Autism Awareness Day, April 2, 2014

It's hard to believe another year has come and gone since last year's World Autism Awareness Day, and here we are, lighting it up blue for Autism once again!  This past year has brought a lot of wonderful changes in our family's life - all changes for the better for Josh as he continues to thrive as a child with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

The CDC just recently released updated totals for Autism prevalence in the United States: 1 in 68 children has an ASD diagnosis.  What is very alarming is that 1 in 42 boys is on the spectrum.  Scientists still have not found a cause, and obviously, there is no cure.  Some research has also shown that over 2/3 of children with ASD also have comorbid psychiatric disorders.  This too is alarming.

While many States in the US are slowly passing laws to help children on the spectrum receive needed services and be included in regular education classes as appropriate, they have a long way to go in helping to teach understanding and provide training in schools, promote success of these children, or address the ability of these children to be a part of the work force and housing as adults.

So how has Josh been doing?  I am excited to share with you all that God has done for him and us since last April.

• Josh is in a new school and EXCELLING thanks to an amazing team of teachers and assistants and principal who are backed by an amazing school district who really cares and does not hesitate to do whatever is needed to help a child succeed.  After fighting our old district for years to just do what the PA laws require and getting nowhere, I was left with the choice of either pressing charges in court or getting Josh out of the school. Choosing the latter, we started looking last April for a new home in a better school district going off of the recommendations of Josh's therapists for the best school districts in the area.  God provided us with a house in July in one of the top 2 districts, and we cannot be more pleased with this decision.  The love and concern that Josh's school team has for him nearly drives me to tears (and that's saying a lot) with each interaction with them.  They include us as parents as part of the team as well as Josh's outside therapists.  As a result, Josh is surrounded by a unified team who is working together with all of the same goals to help him be successful.  It's working!  Josh has had his best year yet!!!!
• As a result of moving, we had to switch counties for Josh's medicaid which meant that his mental health insurance coverage is now with the best agency among those in the surrounding county agencies in providing services for kids with Autism and mental health disorders.  The extra support he receives benefits him as well as our family.
• Last month, I began using doTERRA essential oils to help Josh with his Autism and other 3 mental health disorders.  The difference we have seen in Josh has been absolutely amazing!  Teachers and therapists have also seen the difference that we have seen.  His psychiatrist was so excited to see him doing better that last week, she decreased his mood stabilizer as a result.  We are praising the Lord for helping us to find this natural way of helping Josh with his struggles and are excited to see how far the use of these oils will take Josh with his medicine regimen.    
• In November, we celebrated a whole year of keeping Josh out of the psych hospital.  Given his history, this was a huge accomplishment.  We believe this is a result of God's grace as well as His provision of an amazing school and great subsequent team as well as outside therapists.

Josh, who has Pervasive Developmental Disorder - Not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS), a moderately functioning ASD, is now a 9 year old boy who loves life, works extremely hard to regulate his behavior, engage in social interactions, and be all that God has created him to be.  He excels academically, is thoroughly enjoying taking piano and voice lessons, and loves nature and working with animals (particularly cats).  Josh recently said this about Autism: "I don't want them [scientists] to find a cure for Autism.  God made me this way, and I don't want to change that! I am thankful for who I am."  I am so glad he has such a wonderful attitude of about the "gift" that God has given him.  I am excited to see what plans God has in store for him and am so proud of him for working so hard fighting his multiple battles day in and day out!

One of my all-time favorite pictures of Josh taken at the beginning of this school year!

The front of our house lit up blue for Autism

Our back light that can be seen from a major road running behind our property

Autism Awareness and the Gospel

Joshua is on the far right of the picture

Once again, our family is doing everything we can to raise awareness of Autism in light of April being Autism Awareness Month.  April 2 is Wold Autism Awareness Day where many buildings and people light it up blue.  We participate in these activities in honor of our precious son Joshua (8 years old) who has Autism.  He has Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD-NOS), which is a moderately-functioning form of Autism.  A year ago, his diagnosis was changed from Asperger's Syndrome (high-functioning Autism) to PDD because of concurrent mental health issues he now struggles with which decreases his functionality.  If you are not familiar with what Autism is, please see the description at the end of this post.

I have been very burdened to pull the Gospel into Autism Awareness.  Too often, we look at the deficits those affected by Autism have rather than seeing them for who God made them to be.  God has made each person PERFECTLY - He does not make mistakes!  If there is any doubt, read these verses:

"For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb." (Psalm 139:13-14a,ESV)  

"Then the LORD said to him [Moses], 'Who has made man's mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the LORD?'"     (Exodus 4:11, ESV) 

"...bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the end of the earth, everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made." (Isaiah 43:6b-7, ESV)

God made my son and others with Autism exactly the way He had designed and intended.  Josh's Autism is not a mistake.  It is God's design to show the glory of God in a lost and broken world. Joshua is VALUABLE.  What some may see as a weakness, God deems IMPORTANT.

"Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows." (Matthew 10:29-31, ESV)

"On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable..." (1 Corinthians 12:22b, ESV)

"But he [the Lord] said to me [Paul], 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.'" (2 Corinthians 12:9a, ESV)

Joshua is NOT Autistic!  He has Autism!  He is not defined by his developmental disorder!  It is simply a characteristic that God placed in Josh's life to proclaim God's glory!  Joshua is an image-bearer of Christ, a child of the King.  His sins have been forgiven and washed clean by the blood of Jesus Christ, and by God's grace through faith, Joshua has an eternal home waiting for him in God's eternal presence where Joshua will some day have a perfect body without any limitations where he can continue to glorify God for all of eternity!

God has some incredibly big plans for this young man!  We feel overwhelmed yet honored at the task God has equipped and entrusted us with in raising this child up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord for God's honor and glory!

"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." (Jeremiah 29:11, ESV)

The next time you hear about Autism or see a person with Autism, don't forget to look at them through the lens of the Gospel!  Praise God for His handiwork!

Autism or Autism Spectrum Disorder are the umbrella terms for a range of developmental disorders that cause difficulty with social interaction, verbal and non-verbal communication, and repetitive behaviors and often, many other struggles as well as some special gifts.  These difficulties present in varying degrees in different people.  I heard the saying once, "If you have seen 1 child with Autism, you have seen 1 child with Autism."  That statement is so true!  Each individual with Autism is uniquely themselves with their strengths and weaknesses.  The disorders under the spectrum classification of Autism from lowest functioning to highest functioning are:  Autistic disorder, Rett Syndrome, Childhood Disintegrative Disorder, Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS), and Asperger's Syndrome.  For further information, check out the Autism Speaks website or see my previous blog posts linked below.

As of last year, 1 in 88 children in the United States have Autism making it an epidemic.  It is our responsibility, especially as Christians, to raise awareness and help these children and adults alike know how important they are and to help them feel accepted as Christ accepts us!

Past blog posts about Autism (most recent to oldest):

Russell World Autism Awareness Day 2012

The Impact of Autism

Lighting it Up Blue for Autism Awareness

Autism Awareness Month

Russell World Autism Awareness Day 2012

Our whole family dressed in blue for the day and wore ribbons and autism accessories on April 2 in honor of World Autism Day.  We decorated our front yard with puzzle piece signs this year that the boys helped paint.  Because it was a really busy day for us with a doctor's appointment earlier in the day for Josh then his music therapy followed by his family based therapy session, we went to Friendly's for dinner.  We had a fun celebration of World Autism Awareness Day and helped spread awareness even at the restaurant.

Here are pictures of our family and the decorations around our house.

Front Yard

Front porch

Blue light at the back of the house

Josh's idea of a pose

Front Porch Light at night

Front Porch at Night

Back of the house light at night

The Impact of Autism

Autism, a complex, neuro-developmental disorder of the brain that affects social interaction, communication, and causes repetitive/restrictive behavior/interests is becoming more and more prevalent in today's world yet remains without a cure or known cause.  Now as many as 1 in 88 children are diagnosed with Autism.  In fact, according to a Center for Disease Control study, a new case of Autism is being diagnosed every 20 minutes in the United States.  The facts alone are staggering!  Awareness needs to be spread!  April is Autism Awareness Month, and April 2 is World Autism Awareness Day where the world lights it up Blue for Autism Awareness.  With increased awareness comes greater understanding and more acceptance of those individuals affected by Autism.  The more people know, the more attention is given for funding of studies to discover a cure and a cause.

Awareness is so important.  Our family works hard to raise awareness each year because Autism is very personal to us since our 7 year old son Joshua was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome, high-functioning Autism, when he was 4 years old.  Along with raising awareness of Autism in general, we find it is important to raise awareness of the personal aspects of Autism.  Not many people take time to think about the ways Autism truly impacts a family or community.  In fact, many people never move beyond the statistics.

As Christians, we recognize that Autism is a disability as a result of the fall.  It is a normal result of a world that has become abnormal as a direct result of sin.  Autism does not change the fact that Josh was created in God's image.  God did not make a mistake when he formed Joshua in my womb.  God made Joshua just the way he is for his good and for God's glory.  God gave Joshua to us as parents to mold and shape for God's glory and service in His Kingdom.  We teach him the Bible and the things of the Lord just like we do our 5 year old son David.  We have the same expectations for the outcomes in our son's lives.  Our methods may need to be altered from time to time to fit the various needs of Joshua, but in all actuality, isn't that like parenting any set of different children?

There have been times where God has used Josh's lack of social awareness to further the Gospel.  Because Josh is not afraid to say anything to anybody, there have been times where he has boldly proclaimed the Gospel to neighbors where we have been more timid in how we bring up the topic.  By his going straight to the point, he opened the door wide open for us to step right in and have wonderful discussions about our faith.  What a blessing!

However, raising a child with Autism definitely has its struggles.  The past 5 months have been the most difficult months we have faced yet, and they followed the best several months we had experienced with Joshua.  He had been doing so well with the different therapies where he was learning different social skill and self awareness tools.  In fact, he was doing so well, that his wrap around services he had been receiving for the past 2 years (provided him with a mobile therapist who came to the house and school to help him with social skills and a behavior therapist who helped us in the home) were discontinued because he had completed all of his treatment goals.  The problem was that I had become suddenly sick with severe migraines, and my doctors found a lesion on my brain.  With no answers and no relief to my pain, I was not able to answer Josh's questions of when I was going to get better and what was wrong with me.  This caused a great deal of anxiety for him since with Autism, one needs to always feel in control and know what to expect (the unknown is very scary).  This led to Josh's undoing despite our attempt to get him help.

Navigating the difficult road of mental health dealing with inpatient hospitalization, outpatient therapy, family based services, psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, therapists, and coordinating care with the school therapy team, pediatrician, and developmental pediatrician is enough to warrant another full-time personal assistant job.  I have come to feel as if the phone is a permanent attachment to my head.  Feeling overwhelmed and completely inadequate is becoming a normal feeling.

When Joshua comes home from school each day, there's the constant attempts to keep him calm and prevent him from getting overwhelmed.  Tim and I are constantly doubting our judgment and ability yet having to make fast, pressured decisions, trusting God's wisdom to guide us.  We are struggling to balance the time and energy we are fueling into Josh with the time we need to give to David who is so kind and understanding through all of this.  We pray that God will protect David's sensitive heart and prevent him from becoming bitter.  We fall into bed each night absolutely exhausted by the emotional and physical strain of helping Josh cope with life right now.

It's an overwhelming feeling parenting a child with Autism, especially when things aren't going well.  It's lonely many times.  Too many people who don't understand are quick to judge.  Going to a store can be a very overwhelming experience for an autistic child because it is sensory overload due to the lights, sounds, images, and people.  A melt-down can easily happen, and if it does, too many people are quick to blame the parents for bad parenting or the child for being spoiled.  No one stops to think that the child is in complete sensory overload and can no longer cope with his environment.  Not many people understand how difficult is can be sometimes to parent a child with Autism, so many times, help is not offered.  Getting a break is hard to come by many times.

However, being a Christian parent of a child with Autism, you look into the face of your child and see the image of God and know that it's a blessing to raise your child for God's glory.  It's a comfort to know that you can ask for God's wisdom, and know He promises to give it generously (James 1:5).  You have constant access to God's grace which is always sufficient (II Corinthians 12:9).  We do not need to worry about anything, but we can go to God in prayer and be filled with His peace (Philippians 4:6-7).  We can trust in God for all things (Proverbs 3:5-6).  

Autism brings struggles and blessings.  There are joys and sorrows.  In the end, we are thankful to God for our precious gift - Joshua Caleb Russell!  Our lives will be forever changed because of the blessing of having him in our lives.

Lighting it Up Blue for Autism Awareness

As I mentioned in my previous post about Autism Awareness Month, World Autism Awareness Day is April 2.  April 1st and 2nd are set apart to kick off Autism Awareness Month of April.  A group of children recorded a song to help encourage people to "light it up blue" to help spread the word.  It was put into a great video that I was so encouraged and touched by.  Watch it here:

We lit our house up blue to honor Joshua and spread the word around.  We've decided to keep our lights blue for the whole month of April in honor of the Autism Awareness theme.  Here are a couple of pictures that we took to show how we lit it up blue.

Front porch (picture taken by Tim)

I decided to get creative and experiment with a puzzle piece which is a symbol for autism.  My husband was so patient with me and held that puzzle piece through so many shots.

Our light out back.  By this time, Tim's arm was cramping from holding the puzzle piece, and my hands were cramping from holding the camera! :-)

 Also, along with the idea of lighting it up blue, people are encouraged to wear blue on April 1st and 2nd.  Our whole family participated (including my mom and sister).  On Saturday (April 2), we went to a Reading Royals Ice Hockey game sporting our blue clothing.  Here are pictures of us:

Autism Awareness Month

Joshua at 3 months old

Joshua at 1 year of age

Today marks the 1st day of Autism Awareness Month where attempts are made to raise awareness of this fastest growing developmental disorder in the world.  In the U.S. 1 in 110 children are diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder with 1 in 70 boys being diagnosed.  Research is being done to determine the cause.  There is no cure, but intensive early therapies can really improve the quality of life and function.  So, the hope is that if more people are aware of the disorder, they can be alert to the symptoms to help others get an early diagnosis and therefore early treatment.

Just before he turned 2 years old

3 years old

At 4, Joshua started taking violin lessons since music has always been an obsession for him.  However, playing the violin lasted only 1.5 years.  He's now playing the guitar and piano along with any other instrument he can get his hands on.  This was taken in April 2009, when Joshua was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome

 Joshua was diagnosed at 4 and began intensive therapies right away.  Now at 6, he has made some incredible progress socially and behaviorally as a result of these therapies.  Several of his therapists over these past two years have made comments about how fast he picks up on the therapies and utilizes them.  In the first year of therapy, his therapist told us that what Josh accomplished in 3 months, many kids can't even come close to accomplishing in 1 year!  We praise the Lord for the brilliant mind He has given Josh and for the eager spirit he has to try the things he's being taught.  He still has a long way to go, especially socially, but each therapy will bring him closer to the potential to live a "fairly normal" adult life that his diagnosing psychologist says is possible for him because of his early diagnosis and treatment.

At 5

April 2nd is World Autism Day.  To commemorate it, people all over the world "Light it up Blue" by wearing blue, using blue lights, hanging blue signs, and wearing blue autism pins and such.  The Empire State Building lights it up blue each year along with other buildings throughout the world.  April 1-2 is used as the kickoff to the month along with the celebration of World Autism Day on the 2nd.  Won't you join the growing number of people who rally together from around the world to rally autism awareness?  Take a look at my Blue Page and browse the sight to learn more about the "Light it up Blue" Campaign as well as information about autism.

Crazy 6 year old so full of life

See my Lighting it up Blue post to see what we did in honor of World Autism Day!