The Cavalry

 

This is day one of the thirty day countdown to Autism Awareness Month which begins on April 1st.

When my daughter, Kate was first diagnosed with autism.  The diagnosis seemed so big.  No it seemed ENORMOUS and OVERWHELMING.  My mind was racing.  Where do I go?  What can I do?  What kind of a life will she have? How can I help her?  Well, the truth is that I can help her.  I can help her a lot.  But, I need support.  We all do.  Its just that Autism is so big, I need a lot of support.  In fact, I need a cavalry.  An army of people was assembled to help her with everything from feeding to learning how to independently and successfully use an ipad (and everything in between). How fortunate Kate is to have all of these supports.  But, what about the rest of the people affected by the challenges of autism in our community?  I know Kate is not alone.  The statistics show autism growing at an alarming rate.  Families have long been working with their children independently, using their own resources.  Its time for us to unite and create our own advocacy.  It time to be our own cavalry.  Come join us in celebration as we light the Unisphere in Flushing Meadows Park to advocate for the autism community.