Change is Happening!

Did you know that you can change your password on your i(device) to be a word?

We did it in Austin's to make spelling his name meaningful to type. 

The 1st week he has asked for help and we had to keep reminding him to look at the keyboard. I think he's lost patience and now wants to learn because he maintained contact the entire time we just did it. 

Also wrote a goal for the new IEP for him to sign into Gen Ed (non verbal and in 5th grade and yes in Gen Ed to work on social skills), library, computer lab, etc to make wriitng his name meaningful!

He definitely does better when things are meaningful.

Austin's also learning not to set his iPad down because I turn it off, because then he has to ask on his talking device for help and practice typing his name/password. (One way to problem solve, some what amused on my part)!

Sorry little buddy, your siblings, Ashley, Nick and Emily, should have given you the memo that you have the "mean mom". Yeah daddy and Em will be doing it the same way! Emily should have given you the memo that we make "mean siblings" also!!!! OOPS!  When she was in kindergarten her siblings made her write complete sentences for the answers of word problems. Her teacher told us she was the only child she had ever had at that age to do that. This teacher was Nick and Kd's teacher for kinder also, she was not a new teacher.

Thankful for my own "mean parents" wink wink PARENT, Sandy and Woody, for teaching me how to be one! Thankful for the Del Rosario family for a magical Christmas experience with Santa that made us come up with what we thought 2 years ago might be an impossible goal at the time of typing his name! Without being blessed with William's friendship and our special needs Santa, Woody (my dad), just asking a simple question! We'd never have gotten here. That simple question lead to 10 autism mom's crying when William answered something he was not prepped for on his Proloquo2Go and Apple Device

Still think changing diet and biomedical DON'T work? Think again. This would have been impossible 10 years ago. We could not at that point even get Austin to look at us. Let alone "reference us" which he is also doing also! Thinking about #RDI or diet or seeing a MAPS doctor or getting a Talk About Curing Autism Mentor! I'm going to have to agree with #Nike and say#JustDoIt!!!!!

Not sure where to start? Just ask!

I feel like a nag, but if you are not a family like ours think about finding one of my fundraising links and help us finish our goal. Honestly we are $58 from our goal but I would love to out do our goal.

#ChangeisHappening you can help be the change.

This was a long #FUA #Facebook post (or 2)  that became a new blog!

Honestly I also need to thank all our extended family who never under minded our efforts and have fully supported us in this up hill costly battle! (Yes there are familes that under mind people like us, don't get me started on them)!!!!

Autism is not for the weak or materialistic! Still thankful to have given back our house back to the bank when I was laid off 6 years ago so we could continue every intervention we were doing and still some how cut back even more to do more. Thankful for amazing doctors' Dr. Radoff our MAPS doctor and Dr. Italiano our general practitioner, and Dr. Shores (that came before Italiano and believed I had a brain in my head and was not a crazy person, and see the change in Austin also.  Thankful for our past teachers current teacher Sara Christian, and former teachers Linda Aubrey, Liz Olsen, and Michelle Malkind who see the difference in Austin also! VERY THANKFUL FOR OUR GEN ED COMMUNITY THAT ALWAYS LOOKS OUT FOR AUSTIN WHEN I CAN'T BE THERE.  I have a whole other post on how amazing they are and especially Ranada (not sure I spelled that correctly).  

Thankful that we have given up so many luxuries most people take for granted but that for the majority of the time Austin is safe in his home.  Yes, we do still lock everything, he still could wander like #Avonte or the other numerous kids who have died in the last 10 years since Austin got diagnosed. But I am thankful he actually sleeps most night. he eats fruits and veggies (unlike many of my friends kids), he may not be recovered BUT HE WANTS TO LEARN, HE WANTS MORE, and that some parent like me came before me gave their time and effort to sit down and think how they could help me.  Me the person at that moment, they did not know, my family who meant nothing to them.  All they knew is they NEVER, EVER WANTED SOMEONE TO BE LIKE THEM. 

ALONE!!!!

When you see me post regularly on this subject I will repay the gift I have been given and until my dying day, #NoAutismParentLeftBehind!!!

PITAup, Be the parent your kid needs and #ThinkOutSideTheBox!

I promise you the journey might not just change your kid, it may change you!  #TeamAustin 

I HATE AUTISM, BUT I LOVE THIS KID,  all my kids and the journey and lessons they have each taught me!  Without them, I'd just be an empty shell.  Who knew that the once young girl who never wanted kids, and wanted to be a nurse or cowgirl (yeah that was in our local paper when I was in kindergarten)  could so fall in love with 4 amazing kids who are all doing their part to change the world.

Oh crap just realized I forgot to get Austin's night supplements, I mean "godsends" together I better head to do that  since it is after 10!  Very thankful MOST OF ALL FOR THE DOCTORS WHO PUT THEIR ASSES ON THE LINE AND ARE WILL TO ADMIT THERE IS HELP AND HOPE FOR AUTISM!  THIS IS NOT A LIFE SENTENCE!! 

There are to many to name, but Andy Wakefield tops the list, he lost everything to help my kid!!! My beautiful boy Austin is better because everyone in this blog and so many more, I can't name every one!

If I missed you I apologize and know it was just because of time and tending to my kid!!

Negative Nellie

I'm in a negative Nellie kind of mood! (If you are not an autism family, please read to the end to see my I am "thankful" part).

I hate that every other childhood disease is covered by insurance, but none of them are at the numbers of autism and 1 in 68 children, age 12 and older.

I am tired that my life revolves around timers. I hate that every 8 hours I have to give Austin medicine and supplements to keep him maintaining. I hate that families like mine have to fight for everything we need to be covered by health insurance, Regional Center, and the school district. I hate that what is covered still costs me over $400 a month out of pocket for just compounded medicines (medicines made with out food allergens) and supplements, not including allergy friendly foods that cost double if not triple what the rest of you pay. (Example you buy pretzels and can buy on sale for $2.00 a pound, I pay $6 for 1/2 pound)

I HATE THAT 18 MONTHS AGO, OUR LOCAL CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL COULD NOT DEAL WITH MY KIDS HEALTH ISSUES FOR 6 WEEKS and that every time the word autism comes up, TRY TO SAY THAT IS JUST PART OF AUTISM. (I AM CALLING BULL SHIT ON THIS ONE)

I hate that the school personnel has to be in that close of contact with my non verbal child that they have to call me on every little thing. THAT NEVER HAPPENS WITH A GENERAL ED KID!!

I hate what autism has cost my older children and their quality of life. I hate 10 years of explaining that "no we can't afford that" because of autism.

I hate having to explaining to my older son, why he should ask if he qualifies for the family medical leave act because I will need help next week at a dentist appointment for Austin. I hope we can get the baby tooth pulled with our further stressing Austin's system with having to be put him under to pull a baby tooth that has not fallen out and is blocking an adult tooth. I hate that when Austin has a normal fever of 99.5, the health tech feels the need to call me.

I hate that I have a $193.44 lab bill for me that I will have to file an appeal for, because every moment I take away for my health means I am not learning or helping another family.

I LOVE that there were parents before me that came out and spoke up to help families like mine.(Please tag any that I miss).

I am happy we have a quality of life to "MAINTAIN: and are not back 10 years ago with no sleep, not potty trained and so many other things that would freak the general public out.

I have such an easier life because of parents who decided they would not keep quiet, who decided helping other families like mine was more important then the cost to their own families!

I am asking again if you do not live my life if you could consider giving at least $5 to help families like mine, change is happening, health is happening, but it does not happen with out you and your donation. We are $260 from competing our goal. ‪#‎HelpUsBeTheChange‬.

Can't help financially? Post our link and tell how our family has directly helped your family and ask your friends and family to help us meet our goal.

‪#‎SharingIsCaring‬ ‪#‎TellOurStory‬

http://give.tacanow.org/2014/OcMarathonPrimerFamily/
‪#‎FUA‬ ‪#‎AutismActionMonth‬ ‪#‎AngerIssues‬ ‪#‎PayItForward‬

Talk About Curing Autism Now Family Picnic

Yesterday we attended the TACA family picnic. As usual it is one of our MOST favorite days of the years. The kids had fun, the parents had fun, and over all it gets 2 thumbs up from everyone who attended with us.

I want to take a moment to thank all the volunteers and TACA office staff. You once again out did yourselves. It’s nice to be able to go to a picnic where everything is safe for Austin to eat and also delish!!!

If you were not able to attend you missed some really really really good food. I want to take a moment to also thank all the food venders and give their companies a plug. I think my most favorite food was a new item that thankfully Susan Kristie came and found me and told me I had to try. Thanks Susan!!!

That item was the NuLife foods (which all their foods are Gluten Free, Casein Free and Soy Free) Chicken Burger Patties, these are also egg free. It got two thumbs up from everyone in our party. It was so good that Austin and another child in our group chose to eat the chicken burger instead of the much preferred Fritos. That in of itself is just about amazing, but to top that my anti-chicken husband also loved it. When they had extra boxes of uncooked patties, they offered them to Picnic Guests to take home. Eddie Garcia said that he turned to look and Carissa and I were a puff of smoke!!! (Guess what hubby asked to have for dinner tonight?) I went and checked out their website and they have a lot of other great items like Chicken Pancakes that I want to now try. They also have some exciting new products coming out like Breakfast Empanada, Apple Pie Empanada, and Mashed Sweet Potatoes. Their website also offers you the ability to search by Allergen beyond GFCFSF. (Oh and the company rep I met yesterday, swears this is not even their most popular product, I guess they better send me some so I can taste test their other products, lol)

Update *7/3/10* you can get a NuLife trial pack for on $10, with special discount code Enter TRYME01 in the Promotion Code box in your cart (good for only 1 use per customer)!!! (Basically its like getting shipping for free. And for the price of shipping you can add one more item to try)

Includes:

8 chicken nuggets
2 chicken burgers
8 beefy veggy meatballs
2 slices of ultimate cheese pizza
2 pieces of French toast
4 chocolate chip cookies

Newport Rib Company was also their with splendid pulled pork and beef sandwiches. As always these were a favorite amongst the entire group. It’s hard to believe that the BBQ sauce is GFCF. The have an excellent GFCF menu offered at their local Orange County, California restaurants.

In-N-Out burger was also in the house. For those of you who do not know you can safely eat GFCF at In-N-Out if you just let the cashier know. They have a separate grill where they grill GF hamburgers and will wrap them up protein style and the fries are always safe since only fries are friend in their fryers.

La Rancherita was also at the picnic serving up the cutest little tacos. I did not personally try these after being stuffed with a chicken burger and pull pork sandwich, but many PITA families ate them and enjoyed them.

For snacks there were also plenty to choose from. An old favorite was back, Green Cupcakes. The first year they attended the picnic, about the 8th mini cupcake Austin ate, Ed turned to me and said, “Are you going to let him eat another one?” I looked at him as was like “hell yes”. We had just become egg free and here was a soft, delicious cupcake that GFCFEF. They did not fail to please again this year. I am sure Austin and our friend Julie ate at least 8 each.

Other great snacks included Lucy’s Gluten Free Cookies (made without milk, eggs, peanuts or tree nuts), Pamela's Cookies (produced to be wheat-free and gluten-free, products are produced in a facility which also makes products containing: peanuts, tree nuts, dairy, eggs and soy), EnerG Pretzels (free of gluten, wheat, dairy, casein, soy, egg, nut, low protein. May contain Sesame and Poppy seed.)& Cinnamon Crackers (free of gluten, wheat, casein, dairy, yeast, egg, soy, nut, rice, low protein). If I missed any of the other vendor please let me know because I am more then happy to give them a shout out also!!!

As always please PITAup and check out the awesome sponsors of TACA. Gluten Free Casein free has come a long way since we started June 16, 2004 and the Primer family is most appreciative of the opportunity to have a fun family day with good food, great friends and an awesome Autism Charity!!! Thanks to everyone who helped make it a perfect day!!!

Ever wonder what is a life changing event?

Ever wonder what is a life changing event? Ever wondering how many life changing events one person can have? I have…

For me they stand out pretty clearly. The first was having cancer, the second was having children, the third was having diagnoses of Autism and the fourth was having diagnoses of heart disease.

Ok that might be a bit deceiving because I have never had cancer, Autism or heart disease but I have lived through them all, and I am only 38!!! I have lived through my boyfriend, soon to be husband having cancer when I was 17, having kids at 18, my youngest child’s diagnoses of Autism and my husband having a heart attack when he was 39.

I always thought Autism would be the MOST life changing event, but I was wrong. The heart attack was. Surprise surprise.

The heart attack made me really think of how short life is. It made everything go into perspective; it made me realize I wanted to live. I guess that is what is different before kids and after kids, because cancer should have done that, right?

Nope.

As mom’s we are notorious for taking care of everyone but ourselves, and that becomes ten-fold after the diagnoses of Autism. I remember those first 9 months reading 40 hours a week on Autism. While most of you may think I live Autism now, trust me, this is the calm me. I know hard to believe, but free to ask Ed, Ashley & Nick. Before I get a 100 Facebook posts (since I know no one comments here, lol) yelling at me for not including Emily, I will point out it is different because she has only known a life with Autism, because Austin was like this since she was 3 and he was about 18 months.)

Ok back to the subject at hand, taking care of ourselves. You have to do it. You are not getting any younger, and the kids they are getting bigger and stronger every day. Eventually they will be able to out run us and you darn well better starve off that day as long as you can!!!

First let’s get rid of the excuse you are now yelling at the computer.

Excuse #1 taking time for me is SELFISH. I am pulling out the BS card on this one and telling no its not, it SELFLESS!! The better your health the easier it is on hubby and the kidlets!! The better you feel the better the household feels and runs.

Excuse #2 I don’t have the time, I work fulltime. Again I am pulling out the BS card you have the time. Every parent I know watches at least one 30 minute TV show a day, either give that up or exercise while you watch. If you work and you say you are too tired at the end of the day, again I say BS. You are entitled to two fifteen minute a day breaks and at least a 30 minute break for an 8 hour shift. Walk quickly for 10 of those 15 minutes and go to the bathroom in the other 5, and to make it more difficult take the walk up the stairs if you can. At lunch walk the other 10 minutes. Heck I just put “10 minutes of exercise 3 times a day” into Google and came up with 9 million hits.

Excuse # 3 I don’t have time I am a stay at home mom. When you pick your child up, pick up under the shoulders and lift once or twice and use the body resistance as a weight. Potty training? Use the door jam to do push ups off, run in place, etc.

Excuse # 4 I have some type of disability, war injury, stubbed my toe, etc. There are chair exercises and ways to adapt most exercise, be creative. Can’t think of any adaptations send me an e-mail or Facebook me and I will find one or ask around and find one.

Last and final BS excuse I won’t exercise. Fine then set down that Starbuck’s White Chocolate Frappuccino® Blended Crème at 760 calories and do some serious calorie counting. And don’t do it alone, invest in the bodybugg my best friend from high school does not exercise and has lost 45 pounds just by counting calories with the bodybugg telling her how many calories she burns everyday. You don’t have to give anything up, you just eat in moderation. Is it as good as eating wisely and exercising? No, but losing the weight and being in a healthy size will extend your life and make you more likely to exercise. I love mine. I lost 45 pounds and went from a size 16 to a size 6 in 9 months. I have also used the system to maintain that weight loss for over 7 months, and in those 7 months I have survived Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Valentine’s and Easter, are there holidays that you eat more then those?

Ok now when you see the price of the bodybugg, don’t come running to me to tell me it’s to expensive or I will write you a list of why you can afford it and how too;-) If you have a flex spending account let me know, I got Ed’s covered under ours.

Now go PITA up and get healthy!!!

(Updated March 24, 2013 because Bodybugg has changed their software and the new info is at http://bodymedia.extole.com/m/1270648960)

What’s for dinner?

What’s for dinner?

After almost 6 years on the Gluten Free Casein Free diet, I especially find it amusing hearing how hard the diet is and how someone could never do it. Sorry people it is not that hard. PITA UP!!!

When we started 6 years ago we ate bark, literally most thing tasted like bark!!!

Ok I should be forthcoming, the Primer household doesn’t all eat GFCF, but I am also not a short order cook. Had we only had Emily and Austin when we started the diet we would have all been, but we had a 12 and 10 year old who had a life before GFCF and before Autism. At that point in their lives we were so upside down we decided it was not fair to make them give up everything and trust me after meeting Autism we gave up everything, it might have been good for them to give this up too, but I would not ask it!!!

We did for an entire year though not have any commercial cereals and this was before EnviroKids had much more then Gorilla Munch. It was the one thing Ash and Nic used to leave down and one day I hit my limit and said, in the mom voice, “If you leave that down one more time, we will never have it again” and then for a year we did not. But trust me when their favorite bread was the next thing they left for Austin to eat got the threat, they did NOT leave it out. The learned they adapted!!

So for the record we all eat the same dinner and I make Austin his own “TV dinners” to take to school every day from the leftovers. I freeze them in wax paper and Ziploc baggies and they serve at school.

The diet is like any life change, i.e. exercise, moving, changing jobs, whatever, it is a mind set, once you realize that is just the way it is you get through it. Today’s GFCF people have it easy. I envy you all since we are now GFCFEFSFAF, for those newbie’s, those letters mean Gluten Free (no Wheat, rye, oats or barley), Casein Free (no milk), Egg free, Soy free and Apple free. For most things now days you can find tasty foods that are free of a lot, but generally they are either GFCFEF or GFCFSF, but you can’t be both. All you companies out there thinking what does the public want next, we want GFCFEFSF ;-)

OK so I have days where I have simply run out of ideas for what is for dinner. I figured others might also. So I thought I would share my new favorite GFCF recipe and that in a future blog I will share some of my other new favorite GFCF things.

Today I managed to make Emeril's Chicken Marsala. I subbed rice & potato flour for the wheat flour and ghee for the butter. It turned out fabulously and I am highly recommending the recipe!

Let’s put into perspective how well this was loved. The child who 6.5 years ago would eat no meat, veggies, fruits and definitely not a sauce with mushrooms in it, he ate it, and as I type is licking the plate, and before this when he was done eating his food he had seconds, and then moved on to his dad’s food!!!

That means we will be eating this at least once a week now!!!!!! YUM!!!

Oh and for those of you who say my kid is toooooooo picky for GFCFSF this is the same child that 6.5 years ago found a small piece of hot dog my sister tried to trick him into eating and he figured out how to get it out of the piece of Mac & cheese, without loosing his gluten filled opiate food and only spit out the hot dog!!! The more restrictive we have gone with the diet the better my child eats!!!

OK I will continue this subject in the future because I have some other fun and great new products to promote!!!

Until then PITA up and make the world a better place for our 1 in 91 kids with Autism.

”She should label that kid" and Tanya said, ”Yes like the book the Scarlet Letter or mark you with a capital I for idiot!”

Seriously, what are we getting for 60 million dollars? Does anyone know?

Because I am always being told that Autism Speaks at the very least (and I use that term loosely while my faces contorts into some gawd awful look) promotes Autism Awareness.

If we are getting Autism Awareness after all those walks and all that cash, I want to know why I’m up at 3:29 am pissed off that I again have to educate some ignorant Disneyland employee about Autism. $60 million is a lot of money, and we should have a whole hell of a lot of Awareness going on. No wonder most of us have to call it Autism Action Month, come on Autism Speaks send some money to California to educate Disneyland employees to not yell at children with Autism who are walking independently and staying with their big person, even though it was through the stroller exit and wasn't through your stupid turnstiles, the ignorant British woman who told me not to yell at the staff and “idiot” guy who wanted to put a label on my child. The worst part is I swear at least once a year I have to march into City Hall and give this lecture. When is Disney going to educate the entire staff, because I am tired of doing it myself? (OH and the quiet room will not being making me quiet, nope not this time, not ever when it comes to Autism Awareness and Action!!!)

Seriously the numbers are 1 in 91 we can’t be the first person with Autism that these 3 ignorant people have met, can we? OK maybe we can, but I am sure we will be the most memorable. Especially after I told the British lady that in this country children like mine had rights and laws to protect them while her husband sized up my husband and wondered if he could take us if he needed to. Sorry lady, I don’t care if you were a foot taller then me, my scrappy little American arse could have taken you and your husband out, and you do not mess with a mommy on mission to protect her child from ignorance!!!

Ok so here is the challenge of the day, if Autism Speaks, who doesn’t speak for the Primers and can’t make people “aware”, I guess it is up to all of us in Autism Action month to do it. So PITA Up and make the world a better place by taking some Action on Awareness today!!! (OH and Disneyland you can thank me later for not publishing your phone number at the end of this and asking my 521 Facebook friends to call you and complain too!!!)

iPod Touch one of the best inventions EVER!!!

Wants the world to know how great the iPod touch is! Honestly it may be the best invention ever, at least for my household and a few of my friends’ households. It has even passed up the baby wipe and the Ziploc bag in my top two inventions ever, and you all know how much I love my iPhone, computer and internet. Funny thing is I should be blogging about http://proloquo2go.com/ which is awesome, and my friend Malinda would tell you it changed her life.

Malinda Cook says, “The proloquo2go program on the iTouch has changed my life as well as my non-verbal daughter! Since we started using the program in October 2009, she has been able to communicate her wants and needs much better. She uses the program at home as well as at school. I was able to customize it to her needs – proloque2go is so easy to use and program! I recommend it to anyone who needs a communication device for their child. There are 1000’s of icons that are not only up to date but familiar to children – no more stick figures. You can also download you own pictures easily. I highly recommend proloquo2go.”

We just got our proloquo2go.com in December and we are seeing nice progress in communication and we happen to think it’s great also. We especially love it since after 5 devices in 5 years we have one we can program our self and are not dependant on a speech teacher to do it. LOVE THAT!!!!

The part I never expected was games, or apps that can be downloaded on to an iTouch. As a wife of a video game addict and mother of 3 other children who also love to play video games, I love that Austin at 8.5 is now playing video games, even if they are just the toddler ones! I was often jealous of my fellow PITA’s who had kids that played video games and often wondered how much easier my life would be if my kid was a video game addict (how lazy does that sound? lol).

Well Thursday night I got that pleasure. We sat at quietly at That Pizza Place in Carlsbad, enjoyed adult conversation with out of town guests and Austin did not object. Ok he got up and tried to run a way a few times, but he sat and played for a long time. After 8.5 years of having Austin this was huge for us. Even my sister could not believe how well he did. If you haven’t thought about buying your kid an iTouch, I am highly recommending it and give it 2 thumbs way up!!!

Ok while thanking things that have us gotten here, I should include, we could not have done it with it out TACAnow.org, GFCFSFEFAF (ok it feels like a million things free), Houston Enzymes, Dana’s View, and all the wonderful PITA’s who showed me the way.

So as usual PITAup, and don’t be like my friend Nicole and think anything bad about up after the A. ;-)

Think of it like Cowboy up, lol. Change the world, be a PITA, and PITAUP!!!

Is there a difference between a Soccer Mom and a Football Mom?

Is there a difference between a Soccer Mom and a Football Mom?

According to my husband, the high school teacher and football coach, there must be. Since I lost 40 pounds and stopped wearing dumpy clothes, he keeps teasingly asking when I am heading to the soccer field or PTA meetings. Should I be offended? Luckily for him I am not. It feels good to have lost 40 pounds and to get to enjoy new clothes and have a new self confidence at almost 39 years old.

By now you are probably wondering what this has to do with Autism. Really it has nothing to do with it, but in reality it has everything to do with Autism. On June 15, 2004 my life changed when my youngest child was diagnosed with Autism. For the next 4 months, I read 40 hours a week on Autism, I was a one track mind “mom on a mission” (thanks Lin Wessell), and until November 8, 2008 I continued on the path to help my child and any other child I met on my way. On November 8, my world once again changed. My husband was admitted to the hospital and a few days later we were told he had a heart attack at 39.

Again you are probably wondering what this has to do with Autism. It has everything to do with Autism. We as parents, and especially us mom’s when we get the diagnoses we drop our lives and we do anything and everything Autism. One of the huge things we neglect is our health. November 8, 2008, I realized how short life is and how important health is. I made a point from that day forward to work on my health, partly for my health, but mostly for my 4 kids. I saw our family life pass before my eyes and realized that they needed one parent to live.

Luckily I have the best set of friend’s, my local mom’s night out group the PITA’s who were there to help me along the way. Victoria who recommended the bodybugg.com system, Amy who walked on what Ed refers to as our “death marches” with me everyday, and to all the others who cheered us on.

Now back to Autism, some of you may still be wondering what this has to do with Autism; it has everything to do with Autism. During Autism Action Month I want all the Autism Mom’s I know, all the PITA’s I know, to PITA up and start doing something for their own health. Stop thinking 30 minutes of exercise is selfish and start thinking it is “selfless”.

PITA up!!!

Why is Temple Grandin different then the rest of the crowd?

Why is Temple Grandin different then the rest of the crowd?

Temple Grandin, Ph.D., is different from the rest of the crowd because she the most well-known and probably the most vocal adult with autism in the world. Like most parents with children with Autism her parents were told she should be institutionalized. Thankfully her parents like many parents I know did not listen to that and she is now a renowned author and works as a Professor of Animal Science at Colorado State University. Templin also is a well known speaker on both autism and cattle handling.

From Emergence: Labeled Autistic, Temple has said, "I have read enough to know that there are still many parents, and yes, professionals too, who believe that 'once autistic, always autistic.' This dictum has meant sad and sorry lives for many children diagnosed, as I was in early life, as autistic. To these people, it is incomprehensible that the characteristics of autism can be modified and controlled. However, I feel strongly that I am living proof that they can".

Despite the above quote the Autism News still titles their Feb. 2, 2010 article “Temple Grandin warns against ‘curing’ autism”. I personally do not read this quote as saying that, “I believe there’s a point where mild autistic traits are just normal human variation. Mild autism can give you a genius like Einstein. If you have severe autism, you could remain nonverbal. You don’t want people to be on the severe end of the spectrum. But if you got rid of all the autism genetics, you wouldn’t have science or art. All you would have is a bunch of social ‘yak yaks.’” (http://www.theautismnews.com/2010/02/02/temple-grandin-warns-against-curing-autism/

While a lot of high functioning people with Autism and Aspergers do object to “recovery” or “curing” a child with Autism, I believe Temple has PITA’ed up and said while she would not change herself she is not opposed to helping our kids who are not HFA“. For a parent of child who most consider low functioning, I think this is wonderful that she can see the difference. I wish others could too. I would never ever take away my child’s “normal human variation”, but I also do not want to leave him in the autism alone. Before diet and enzymes he colored and spinned 22 hours a day and thought of me as nothing more then the furniture. 6 years later he has a smile that lights up a room, and when he looks at you and smiles because he knows you it could melt even Frosty the snowman.

I hope someday he can be as accomplished as Temple, and tell his thoughts and opinions on the subject of Autism. Not only do I think Temple is pretty special so does TIME magazine, you can now vote in “The 2010 TIME 100 Poll for the leaders, artists, innovators and icons who you think merit spots on this year's list of the 100 most influential people in the world”

http://tiny.cc/fo4em

I hope everyone who thinks like me takes the time to vote, let’s show the world that some one with Autism can be the most influential person of the world.

As always PITAup and vote for Temple!!!

If you like my blogs please become a follower and leave a comment.

The “Good Wife”

The “Good Wife”

So I am really loving the new show “The Good Wife”, funny as that sounds this leads me to think what is “The Good Wife”

Before kids or Autism it’s the wife that has no issue with her husband hanging with the guys for poker, football, baseball, soccer, etc. After Autism it’s the wife who no matter what still gives the husband some physical attention, even if it just a quickie. Fortunately for me, I was married almost 12 years before Autism, so I actually get this.

Trust me in marriage there are days and times you do not want to be intimate. And it is probably most days. Fortunately with marriage you also learn compromise; you learn that some days you have to give it up to make sure you have a happy household.

Ok sorry if this shocks you but it is true, it’s also even more true when you have a kid with Autism. Trust me by the time you are done with Autism on any given day you are ready for a nervous break down. You are sick of not understanding what your child needs, you are sick of diaherra or constipation, you are sick of tantrumming you are sick of not having a child like your friends, you are sick of being different and most important you are sick of having to explain it to your family, friends and possibly your husband.

This being said, I have a feminist PITA/friend who does not like a certain autism organization who says the same thing I do, but in my humble opinion you sometimes have to take one for the team, and for this conversation the team is the “family”. But bottom line a happy TEAM is a family that has a chance of staying together and if the stats of more then 75 % of families get divorces I am willing to piss off the feminists!!!

Even with that I am willing to state on the web, that a couple who does the deed is a family that stays together.

That being said, I remember being a mom, “in the weeds” of Autism. And by “in the weeds” I mean, so overwhelmed in the first 3 years of diagnoses. I remember reading 40 hours a week and when my husband came home overwhelming him with information he did not want. I remember also finding ourselves clinging to each other. Of course we had 12 years of marriage and 15 years of being together to cling onto. Most parents do not have that luxury. Which is why I highly encourage you new mom’s to go out there and “cling” to your husband even when you don’t feel like it. I promise you, if you are not in an abusive relationship and you have a relationship with your husband you will end up stronger and better off because of it.

As always just my opinion and as usual PITA up!!!

What is a PITA?

What is a PITA?

For most conversations as it relates to FB, a PITA is a member of our Mom’s Night Out Group for parents of children with Autism in San Diego County. We have now expanded out to Orange County and are looking for further expansions.

A PITA by definition is a Pain In The Ass parent.

Where does the term PITA come from?
I once heard a teacher refer to parents like me as a PITA and I thought to myself, why yes I am.

Generally this answer satisfies most, but for those who push further and want to know more, here is a more broad answer…

A PITA is a parent who pushes for her child and your child no matter what she is facing, we are not a biomedical group nor are we anti-biomedical. We take all parents, we take all care givers, and we take all that fight for our children with Autism to have better lives. We are change makers. We are what the school districts, government or pharmaceutical companies try to hide from other parents. We are parents who will not be coerced into taking less for our children. We are parents who want to help other parents learn the skills we have and to give back what has been given to us. We will not take the knowledge we know and walk quietly away once we have solved our children’s problems. We will take on the world for every child we know and love and find a solution for all our children.

I am sure I missed something, but pretty much if you fall under these guidelines, you are a PITA and welcome to start a PITA group near you!!! All we ask is that you stay within the above guidelines and that you take all parents of children with Autism and make the world a better place, and when asked where you got your name, you give credit back to the OP’s the Original PITA’s of San Diego!