April is Autism Awareness Month

April is Autism Awareness month. The latest numbers are showing that it affects one in 110 children - and one in 70 boys. I hope that someday we attack this situation the same way we go after cancer or HIV. And that this awareness of the situation breeds more tolerance toward those dealing with autism.

Recently I've started performing puppet shows with two friends for elementry students to promote awareness of autism. And I've been very pleased with the questions these little ones ask after the show. It's their generation that will grow up with autism all around them. Tolerence can be taught at a very early age and these kids seem to get it.

That is great. I hope you continue and succeed, too!

I teach autistic kids. I also teach them ukulele. They love it!

Thats a great cause you 2 are helping. The care has improved a lot over the last few decades and hopefully it will continue to.

My 10 year old son has autism (a high functioning form called PDD-NOS, similar to Aspberger's syndrome). I guess as a Mom what I would want people to be aware that most autistic kids aren't like what you see in "Rain Man". They are "normal", or what we call "typical" in most ways, and there are just a few things that are hard for autistic people. The biggest one is that they don't understand social rules as well as typical kids do, and have to be deliberately taught things that other kids pick up on their own. My son has a great sense of humor and is very sweet, but he is easily distracted by things, and needs help in school keeping focused on what is going on. However, he is very bright (just got a 100% on his math test) and goes to school in a regular classroom with the other kids. In fact, one of the reasons that he does so well is that he has been integrated into a "regular classroom" since he was in preschool. It is particularly important for autistic kids to be with typical kids as much as possible, rather than segregated into a "special ed" class. They need the constant contact so that they can learn social norms and practice social interactions. I swear, the best therapy we ever got for my son was his little sister! She bombards him with social lessons 24 hours a day! My son has regular friends that he made in his regular classes, and he couldn't do that if he had been separated into a different classroom.

I don't know what to say... Just thanks Wesley for reminding us and helping educate and promote and pepamahina sounds like your son is a "regular" kid. I am so happy that as we progress as a society and culture we no longer ship our children with certain types of handicaps away and instead integrate them into "regular" life. Thanks for you post pepamahina.

roxhum said:

I don't know what to say... Just thanks Wesley for reminding us and helping educate and promote and pepamahina sounds like your son is a "regular" kid. I am so happy that as we progress as a society and culture we no longer ship our children with certain types of handicaps away and instead integrate them into "regular" life. Thanks for you post pepamahina.

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Thank you, rox, for listening. Anyone other ukers out there have someone with autism in their life? With the incidence of autism in young boys so high (and increasing), there must be a few of you.
Oh by the way, my son is not at all interested in ukulele, but he has a great voice. Maybe I should try to get him to sing with uke accompaniment!

This would be a great month to pick up a copy of Square Pegs & Round Holes which is a compilation CD that features some top ukulele performers (James Hill, Victoria Vox, John King and many others) who donted their music to support autism awareness and treatment. Thanks to a generous donation from Ohana Ukuleles, 100% of the proceeds from the sale of this CD goes directly to the American Aspergers Assocation who provide treatment and support for kids with autistic spectrum disorders and their families. My own son received hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) courtesy of this group, so I have seen the good work they are doing. Our ukulele festival here in Florida is also a fundraiser for this group.

- Steve

(I didn't mean to turn this thread into a commercial, but it seemed relevant)

My cousin Ethan has Aspergers syndrome, in fact he is the very definition of it xD you hear about them having intense interests, this kid is it. They change, but he learns and learns and learns about whatever it is that he's interested in. Right now its WWII, a fairly productive interest if you ask me He is really an amazing, smart kid. He has so much potential. I don't want him to be held back by a label, because he's "different." I am currently tutoring him in math, trying to help him where his teacher can't, or won't. Either she doesn't have much experience with difficult students or she wants to push him into special ed. Either way, the classroom is not enough for him, so my aunt and grandmother have enlisted my help in teaching him. I really hope I'm helping. He really is a great little kid, and despite all the ways he's "different," he can show more love then most "normal" people I know.

spookefoote said:

I teach autistic kids. I also teach them ukulele. They love it!

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Me too. I'm a Speech & Language Pathologist working with children with autism in the inner-city Chicago Public Schools. Presently I am at 9 schools in the poorest part of the city. I really wish I could spend more time at any one of my schools...
...it would be great to bring my uke.

I just want to follow up on pepamahina's comments.

As an RN with a speciality in psychiatric nursing, I have assisted as a nurse consultant with respect to families with a son or daughter who is autistic and specifically children with Aspberger's and young adults with Aspberger's.

Special Ed: the push towards special ed classes is quite simple. School districts get more money that way. The better option is truly regular classroom integration where children with Asperger's can learn to get along with a variety of different types of children as well as a better sense of limits, rules and norms and "give and take."

I think Aspberger children who indeed can be termed "intrusive" get an unfair shake especially in the school system. Frankly, in any given school system, inner city or suburban, there are a greater number of students into acute levels of limit testing and manipulative behaviors who IMO are on the road to adult personality and character disorders.

I am not, BTW, a subscriber to the belief that ALL children exhibit limit-testing, disregard for the feelings of others and manipulativeness to the same degree (acuity differentiates) nor a believer in the JD Salinger paradigm of adolescence (which has really been directly marketed especially in the schools)...where adolescence equals being really messed up. My point is: there's no special ed class for narcissists and even sociopaths, simply graduation.

If there's no month declared "Personality Disorder Awareness Month" don't be suprised.

bassfiddlesteve said:

This would be a great month to pick up a copy of which is a compilation CD that features some top ukulele performers (James Hill, Victoria Vox, John King and many others) who donted their music to support autism awareness and treatment. Thanks to a generous donation from Ohana Ukuleles, 100% of the proceeds from the sale of this CD goes directly to the American Aspergers Assocation who provide treatment and support for kids with autistic spectrum disorders and their families. My own son received hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) courtesy of this group, so I have seen the good work they are doing. Our ukulele festival here in Florida is also a fundraiser for this group.

- Steve

(I didn't mean to turn this thread into a commercial, but it seemed relevant)

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I heard about HOBT. Is it really helpful for fast recovery. How it really work

Just finished the first season of "The Good Doctor", good show.