Wednesday, April 2, 2014

April is Autism Awareness Month

April is Autism Awareness Month.
I'm sure are familiar with this disorder but for those who don't know what Autism is, you can find more about Autism HERE.

Kids and adults who are autistic have a special place in my heart. My brother is a "special child" and growing up, he had developmental delays. When we was about 8 or 9, he was diagnosed  by a doctor and overdosed him with medication. It went down hill from there. I was so young and I could not understand what was going on. I just kept on telling myself that my brother was a special child and had special needs...and me being the big sister, I should understand and give way for him.  He saw a few more doctors over the years, and he was given all sorts of medication... in the attempt to "cure" him.

When I went to college, I began to understand more about developmental disorders. Thinking back about our childhood, and the signs and symptoms my brother had... I realized he was misdiagnosed. He has a developmental disorder in the autism spectrum.  We don't talk about the doctor (from the Philippines) who misdiagnosed him  because it's a painful scab to pull off.

With regular vitamins, a healthy diet... he is doing great and he walks everyday for his exercise. And he is well-known in our neighborhood and everybody greets him when he passes by.  He loves going to the mall. And even though there are those who still stare and whisper, a number of strangers just  smile...in their way for saying they understand. And that's what really warms my heart...when people understand.

If I was given an choice to have a different brother...I would still choose my brother now. Because I know, "special children belong to special families". God gave him to us because He knows we will love him and take good care of him. And I miss him soooo much and I can't wait to see him next year.

Autism Awareness highlights the need for concern and awareness about autism, funding for research, prevention, treatments and even cure. But sometimes being aware of autism  is not enough. We all need to understand...not only the autistic individual but also the family and caregivers.

My art journal today is an Autism Awareness Tree.
I saw this online while looking for Autism Awareness logos.  I don't know who owns the copyright to this idea and/or art, but I was inspired to make a tree using colorful puzzle pieces.

The puzzle pattern reflects the mystery and complexity of the autism spectrum. The different colors and shapes represent the diversity of the people and families living with the condition.
--Autism Society of America--





If you want to see how I made this art journal page, I have a video below and I hope you enjoy it!
Please let me know what you think.



Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful day!
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5 comments:

  1. I love your journal pages, Mae! I have an autistic, non-verbal, nephew. He is now 17 years old!
    It's good to bring awareness....thank you!

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  2. I wish there were more people in the world more willing to smile than stare. Your journal pages are fabulous Mae such a wonderful tree to highlight the complexities of Autism.
    Enjoy the rest of your week.
    Hugs Sharon. x

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  3. My daughter was amazed at how quickly you were able to finish it. ;) I love how artistic you are. Miss you!

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  4. Wonderful Mae! Enjoyed your video too! We have two adopted grandchildren from Bulgaria who are on the spectrum and non-verbal. Some things are so hard… Autism, severely delayed and institutional behavior. (from being in an orphanage for 4 and 6 years) Your experience makes me think they could've been easily over medicated too. : (

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  5. Dans notre famille , j'ai le fils de mon frère et le fils du frère de mon mari qui sont autistes , ce n'est pas facile pour eux d'autant plus qu'en France on est très en retard au niveau des structures.Merci pour votre article et arbre

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