A very strange thing happened. I have found my place.

I moved to Texas 4.5 years ago and I never really felt like I fit in. I was from up North - way up North - North of North Dakota even. I lived in a suburb of Kansas City for 10 years before moving here. I didn't really like it there either at first. After a couple of years in Kansas I fit in quite good except that occasionally someone would say I had an accent. After 1 years in Frisco I wasn't very happy and had not made any real connections. I thought it just took time. After 2 years I declared that I hated it here. At 3 years my daughter had her first hideous experience at school which plunged us into an nightmare and I declared that I despised this place. I was pretty much submerged in that mind frame for 2 years.

However during the blackest period of my life something happened. I found a community. I found other mothers who had lived this nightmare or even if they hadn't knew it to be true and knew that it happened everyday to others like us. By "Like Us", I mean parents and advocates of children with autism.

I have met some of the most amazing people within this community- true warriors for this is a battlefield. I have met mothers whose hell was many times worse than mine and most of all I met people who had children with autism and found the time to reach out and help others. We exchanged stories and I am in awe of what these people do and accomplish everyday. In my bleakest moment I reached out to a woman over the internet who volunteered to come to an ARD with me that lasted 6 hours. (She wasn't the only one who volunteered as Anna did too). This was a total stranger who did this out of the goodness inside her!

Well I have been wondering what have I got to offer? How can I contribute? I feel like I have done some autism awareness by telling people who I meet about our story and about our daughter and explaining about autism to neighbors and soccer coaches. I feel this is important because there is so much ignorance in the world and not enough acceptance. I have networked extensively to find others who had the same experience with FISD and to give them all the information I had learned during my journey and to keep them informed. I continue to make it my mission to make the school district aware that I know and others know that they are still doing this to children. I show up at almost every school board meeting to let them know I a watching and I am aware. Now I have decided to take the next step. I have joined COPAA and am going to the convention in St. Louis. I am determined to learn as much as I can about how to advocate for our kids and how to make districts accountable. Knowledge is power and I have an opportunity to meet with and network and learn from some of the most knowledgeable people on our side.

All my children are in school all day and my middle daughter is at a safe place where she is valued and is making awesome progress. I finally feel secure and know that she is getting what she needs. Now I can find the time to educate myself and hopefully help others.

I will arrive in St. Louis with my roots showing, my clothes 7 years old and a suitcase full of snacks so as to economize and not eat out too much. I haven't had my hair cut at a salon in almost 2 years and I haven't worked in an office for 15. I will arrive in St. Louis ready to go, for this fight is too important to worry about hair and whether or not I forgot my underwear or was it my phone charger? The children are happy there is food in the fridge and the husband is in control. I can do this.

Most of all thank you do all the people who have been on the forefront of autism awareness and advocacy. Thanks to all the survivors and the givers.

Angela