In honor of the month of April, long-time AutismSpot friend and cheerleader, Maureen Bordelon, has offered to share some guest blog posts with us from her Autism Hat Rack. Last week, Maureen's Good Luck Hat post about receiving a diagnosis and a little "good luck" as she was pushed out the door of the pediatrician's office, really hit home with many of our readers; I encourage you to read it if you haven't yet. Today, I'm pleased to share another amazing guest post from Maureen - this one about siblings and how their lives are changed as they grow up with affected siblings. Enjoy!

The Siblings' Hat
By Maureen Bordelon

This is not a Hat I wear, but hats our children wear for their little brother. I could go on and on about how proud I am of our children - all three, but things are best said in the words of a child.

A few years back, Kent Potter, founder of AutismSpot.com, interviewed our two older kids on camera, Gregory (age 12 at the time) and Danielle (age 6 at the time) for the site. (Note: Both kids have asked me to clarify that this video took place before braces and retainers!) Kent asked the kids about having a brother with Autism and what is was like. The goal was to share with other Autism siblings so they could relate to each other.

There is an entire generation of empathic, compassionate, selfless children out there who have had to live the journey of Autism without having the diagnosis. They have seen their brothers and sisters struggle and parents become exasperated. They have seen and been a part of joys and accomplishments that other peers could not understand or appreciate.

Kent's video - Why We Have Jonathan - is a testimonial to this compassionate, empathetic generation of siblings growing up alongside our children with autism. I hope you enjoy the clip.

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Maureen is a mother to three beautiful children: Gregory (17), Danielle (13) and Jonathan (11). Jonathan was officially diagnosed with severe Autism at the age of 16 months and has been home schooled since March 2010. Maureen has been active in the Autism Community since 2002 by helping create local parent support groups, advocating for parents in local school districts, organizing and speaking at Autism Events/Seminars and she has testified on behalf of Autism Education in front of the Texas State Legislation. Maureen is creating a pathway of hope to support the Autism Community and adding to her “My Autism Hat Rack” everyday.