What's FUN about Autism?

We have been faced with quite a few challenges in our life and it just seems as if they keep on coming. But, I don't want to focus this post on the challenges; I want to just go over a few of the special joys that our family gets to experience because our children are autistic.

·         We have been blessed with the opportunity to learn about this disorder and to teach others about it and help spread awareness. The month of April is Autism Awareness month, (FYI) so you might be hearing more from us next month!

 

·         Our family has grown closer. Not just our little family, but there is something so special about these boys, that EVERYONE in our family (including ALL of our extended family) has come together to love them (you just can't help but love them).

 

·         We have become part of a community (I would go so far as to call it a culture) of people who are experiencing the same up's and down's that we do. Every child with Autism is different, but there are quite a few behaviors that we see in a lot of our children, to different degrees, but we understand each other and we know we aren't alone in our struggles. The CDC just released the newest statistics for Autism and 1 in 68 children in the US is affected by ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder). Those numbers are staggering! But, they are going up because we're more aware and we are catching those cases that would have gone undiagnosed. That's a GOOD thing. Everyone has opinions on whether ASD will ever be able to be cured. Personally, I don't believe it can. I believe the best thing that research can do is focus on treatment options, and how to help the families affected to cope with the challenges. This includes awareness and COMPASSION from society in general.

 

·         Every person on earth is an individual. Each with our own unique personality, so what makes a child with autism UNIQUE when everyone is in essence unique. The amazing thing about our children is in the way they view the world and how they experience life. Because of their ASD, they don't experience a sunny day the same way a neurotypical person would. They see the details we don't, they feel things we wouldn't and they come up with solutions to problems in a unique way. Before Autism was well known, many people who were believed to be eccentrics, but geniuses, were probably autistic. (Albert Einstein, Nicola Tesla, Mozart, Issac Newton, Michalangelo) These special people benefit our world in ways we can't imagine; we just have to LET them!

 

·         Our boys have a special sense of humor because of the way they see things or interpret them (I'm still trying to figure it out), but they are FUNNY! Not a day goes by that Jeremy or I don't catch ONE of the boys doing something funny (even if the other one is having a bad day). Braden can talk and he can tell us jokes and he says some of the funniest things sometimes that we're amazed by him and his point of view. Jackson can't talk, but he is an imitator and he will mimic his favorite movie characters. Both he and Braden LOVE music and especially movie credits with music. Sometimes I think they enjoy the credits as much or more than they enjoy the movie. Both of them will start dancing around and smiling like crazy when the credits to their favorite movies come on. It really is a sight to see and Jeremy and I have tried to video tape them, but they have some kind of instinct that tells them there is a camera pointed at them, at which point they immediately stop what they're doing. (except Braden, he loves to be videotaped and is quite a camera hog!)

 

·         I'm going to take just a minute to brag about how darn CUTE my boys are! It has nothing to do with their autism, but I swear, when you look at them, you can just see that there is something special inside of them. They both have beautiful blue eyes and Jackson's eyes are so big and blue that we literally can't go out in public without someone saying something about his beautiful eyes. They do all the talking for him.

And now, for the funnest parts! I've compiled a small sample of some of the funny things Jeremy or I have posted on facebook when Braden has said something we just had to share with the world. Unfortunately, Jackson's funny stuff would all have to be pictures because he doesn't talk, but I'll post a couple, though there are MANY of him and his funny ways! The point of this post is that Autism isn't ALL about the challenges, it's about the blessings too.

BRADEN:

So, Braden likes to walk around the house and talk to himself. He doesn't care who's listening, and he does both sides of the conversation and even does voice imitations. Sometimes we hear him repeating things he's heard in tv or movies and sometimes he "replays" things that happen at school (doing perfect imitations of his teachers), but apparently he will also pretend things. He was just walking around talking and I hear, "Hi! Welcome to Chinese Noodles! What would you like to order?" to which he responds, (in a different tone of voice) "I would like three orders of Chinese noodles please!" If you can't tell, noodles are his favorite when we get Chinese.

Braden: Mom, are we going somewhere for dinner?

Me: No.

Braden: But, I'm keeping my socks on, so we have to go out somewhere for dinner, because I have my socks on.

Braden is standing at the window yelling hysterically at the sun to go away, because he doesn't want the snow to melt.

We are drive to a local shopping center and Braden says out of the blue "I want to go to Bojinglebells". For those not from the East what he meant was Bojangles

We're driving in the car and Braden yells "Oh my gosh!" so we say "what?" and Braden says "there are lots of trees in north Carolina!" we had to laugh out loud at that one. We've lived here for three years and he's just now noticing we are surrounded by trees.

Driving by a cotton field; Braden calls it a "smarshmallow" field

Braden is really into Harry potter right now. What's funny: he says Harry's name with a British accent. (a pretty good one too!)

Braden: I have a loose tooth!
Jeremy: wiggle it.
Braden: shakes his head back and forth.

Just drove by the Verizon store and Braden yells "check mark phones!"

Braden's playing x-box the other day and Daddy says: "What are you doing Braden?" and Braden answers: "Wasting my time." CLASSIC!

Braden made up his own name for one of his transformers: instead of megatron it's MEGATROUBLE! I think that should be his new nickname!

Jeremy just tried waking Braden up from a nap before he was ready to get up. Braden's response: I'm out of control, so just get out of my way!

Mom: Braden what season is Christmas in?
Braden: I don't know.
Mom: When is Christmas?
Braden: Tuesday the 18th (no hesitation)

We were in the car and Braden says: "Mom, when I grow up and live in my own house with a cat, I'm going to have to go to the car store and buy a truck."

JACKSON:

Jackson is serious about cupcakes

 



 

Jackson loves shopping

 

 

Jackson's solution to holding his bottle when his arms get tired

 

 

Jackson ALWAYS likes sticking his tongue out

 

 

Jackson just being cute

 

 

Jackson likes to look at the world upside-down. Braden (who likes hanging around the house in his underwear) thought he would give it a try

 

 

Jackson loves playing with glasses (and breaking them) He also loves stealing any food Braden leaves within his reach, chocolate pudding for example.

 

 

I love kids in pajamas and I have tons of pictures of the boys in christmas jammies, halloween jammies, any kind of jammies will do, they're just cute when they're together!

 

 

My two sweet boys in their Sunday best

 

 

Braden rubs Jackson's head the way I rub their heads when they cuddle with me. This is probably one of my favorite pictures of them together, even though you can't see their faces.

 

 

Look at these two boys and I DARE you to tell me there isn't something amazing about them! You can see it in their eyes, they have special souls and Jeremy and I have been blessed with the responsibility of seeing that they are given the opportunity to share their uniqueness with the world.