Autism - Accept Unite Trust Inspire Smile Mend

Autism is many things to many people. We all have some connection to Autism whether it is knowing that someone is affected by it such as a family member, a relative, a friend, a colleague, a child, a son, a daughter or just a knowledge that it has become a major health concern today. Autism has become more publicized today and even celebrities have been touched by autism whether through their own child's diagnosis or through dedicated activism. There is no getting around it as we see more and more children diagnosed with it and the numbers are only increasing. It is very alarming and the reasons why so many more children are diagnosed with autism are very unclear and very disturbing.

There are so many things that go through your mind when you learn someone you love is diagnosed autistic. It is not easy to deal with initially as you start to understand what it all means. No two autistic children are the same but they do have similarities in their sensitivities and their behavioral difficulties. It is very trying at times to see a child struggle socially and live in self imposed isolation. I do believe we all at times isolate ourselves but it seems that autistic children prefer to be alone and have great propensity to being loners. This is why it is so important to try and reach these children when they are young with an autism diagnosis. Introducing them to speech therapy and socialization skills by 2-3 years old will help in improving their chances of opening up and forming much needed friendships.

When I think of Autism I see both the worrisome side and the good side of the diagnosis. I always hope the good side will overshadow the worrisome side with regard to my son and all children diagnosed on the spectrum. There is so much we need to learn about autism and how to help the ones affected by it. As we learn we have to sooner or later grow to accept the diagnosis and do all we can to help our child and encourage them to always try their best and to never give up or lose hope.

Once we have learned to accept the diagnosis which will take some time then we must unite to seek all the help and guidance we can to help our child. There is always strength in numbers and if we seek support and unity we can get to the next level with our child which is so important in their development and our outlook for their future. We must always trust in our instincts in helping our child and we must trust all the medical staff and teachers who come into our autistic child's life to help and guide him. We all are trusting of each other in the common purpose of helping the autistic child to learn, grow and prosper.

My son inspires me with his knowledge and his talents. I also see that he is inspired by great people such as Walt Disney, Martin Luther King, President John F. Kennedy, Steve Hillenburg and Elvis Presley as well as my dad, Pop who taught me and my son so much about life. We also try to find ways to guide our son and inspire him to strive for all the right things in life. My biggest joy is seeing my son smile and displaying his happiness and good feelings. We want all the best for our son and when we see him smiling and happy it makes our day and gives us a wonderful feeling. We hope to see him happy as often as possible.

As we show our concerns for our child and their autism diagnosis we always want what is best for them and we are always seeking the proper help and support so both our child and us as parents can mend and put the diagnosis in the proper perspective. We are always trying to help and dedicate our lives to our son's happiness and success and will do whatever it takes for we love our son and we accept him, we are united for him, we trust in him, we inspire him and he inspires us, we love to see him smile and we always wish to see him mend so he can live a full and exciting life that goes beyond his autism.

Always remember this Matty:
AUTISM - Accept, Unite, Trust, Inspire, Smile, Mend

I dedicate this to you, Matty to have a wonderful and rewarding life and continued progress in all you do! May you always be blessed and know love, joy and confidence.
Thank you!

Edward D. Iannielli III