A year ago, I listened to a podcast with Oprah Winfrey and Tim Shriver. Tim Shriver runs the Special Olympics. He described a conversation he had with a mother of one of his athletes. That conversation hit close to home and it is the perfect lesson for Autism Awareness Month. It went something like this... “One mother told me, she had three sons... Two work at big investment banks and the other has a severe intellectual disability. ‘Every time people ask me about my sons, I tell them about my oldest who is in New York and I tell them about the second who is in Chicago. Then, I tell them about Christophe who is at home and I have to get out of bed every morning. They always say to me ‘I’m sorry.’ She said to me ‘Tim your life’s work is to tell them to stop saying that about my son. That boy is the light of my life and everyone thinks that I should be afraid and sorry that I have this boy. And he is magic!’”
Just like that mother, I have a special son who is the light of my life. Every morning, I get Jude out of bed and ready for school. We walk down the driveway, hand in hand, waiting for his school bus. When the school bus curls around the corner and enters into sight, his body shakes vigorously with excitement and he runs towards the street. That moment perfectly describes HIS Autism. Jude is always in the present moment, which sometimes that does not fit the world we live in. He is completely unaware that running into the street could cause him harm. Yet, he teaches me that getting to see his school bus is pure happiness because he will see people who care for him while going for his morning joy ride!
We may not be able to engage in a verbal conversation with a person with Autism, but we can learn to use a different sense to connect with another. We may have to follow strict routines to create a world where a person with Autism feels safe and comforted, but through those routines we are able to see how simple daily events can be just as joyful as a child mastering a major milestone. When we take the time to truly see a person with Autism, we are able to understand that using their strengths and our strengths creates a much stronger and beautiful world.
Autism Awareness month is more than just learning a list of signs and symptoms or posting the newest statistics. It is about taking the time to become aware of the strength, perspective and vulnerability that people with Autism possess. If we all become truly aware of Autism, our world will be filled with magic J
