There has been a lot of debate in the media whether Asperger's Syndrome should remain under the Autism diagnosis. If you are not familiar with Asperger's Syndrome here is a very quick (no techno babble) explanation....Asperger's Syndrome is very often what people refer to as high functioning Autism when it comes to the Autism Spectrum of Disorders. Asperger's is a diagnosis in and of itself. Sometimes a child, teen, or adult will be diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome and later learn it is part of the Autism Spectrum of disorders.

Angie attended her annual "College Girls Weekend" this past weekend and that meant a Potter Boys Weekend for me and #1 and #2. This would be our last official Potter Boys Weekend since we will be having our first daughter in May. Next year....Potter Boys and a Girl Weekend!
I had three main goals for the weekend:
1) be positive ~ I wanted to do something that would allow each boy to shine and feel proud about what they created
2) be educational ~ I wanted the boys to learn things that would be valuable (not just today) for the rest of their lives

The question of quality over quantity is often debated in college psychology courses and business schools. It needs to be discussed more in the Autism Community. We need the same diligence, oversight of therapy and intervention programs, and the analysis of return on investment needs to be even more stringent than what is applied when building a business. Our children’s lives are more important than money, business, and politics.

There is joy in the world and we only have to open our hearts to see it. Sometimes, it is a challenge to deal with the daily issues that come with parenting a child on the Autism Spectrum. Over time, I have learned there is also an incredible amount of joy in our family because we live with Autism.
A few years ago I wrote two different articles about JOY!: "Music Can Be The Bridge" and "6 Hour EEG"

Clean slate. Mulligans. Do overs.
We can wipe a chalk board clean, some people use Mulligans in golf, and in a friendly game of darts you might be lucky if your opponent allows you a do over when you hit them in the shoulder instead of the board.
Life isn't about do overs. In life, we are given the opportunity to learn from our experiences, grow from our mistakes, and we can decide what attitude we will have along the way. Pretty simple when you think about. Living it is another story.
2009 has been a tremendous year for AutismSpot:

We are in the second trimester of our third pregnancy. Sam is eight (almost nine) and Luke is now five years old. It's been almost a decade since our first pregnancy and it is amazing how little has changed. Don't get me wrong, there are all kinds of new contraptions, toys, fancy car seats, websites, and other advances that have occurred in the past ten years. What hasn't changed is the lack of information regarding the causes of Autism.

The rate of Autism in the United States is now reported to be 1 in every 91 children. The "official" prevalence rate is up 50% from 1 in every 150 children just a few short years ago. Am I speechless? Am I surprised? Am I at a loss for words? Am I dumbfounded beyond belief? Are you nuts? Of course I am not surprised, nor bewildered, and I am definitely not speechless. You don't have to be part of the Autism Community for long before you realize that the "official" numbers have been inaccurate for a long time.

I just read the article "Medicare Would Rather Buy $8000 Computer than $150 iPhone App" found over at GIZMODO.com and just about tossed my lunch across the room. The thoughts that are running through my mind are moving to fast to type. This type of archaic thinking, behavior, decision making, and communication is absurd.

The twisted joy of watching America's Funniest Home Videos, the new Bobb'e show, and the genius of despair.com brings viewers back time and time again. Is it sharing in the universal language of "suffering caused by stupidity" at someone's expense, is it the calm we get from thanking our lucky stars it was not us caught on tape doing the same thing, or is it just plain fun to enjoy a good laugh now and then that brings us back?

It's the question we have all asked ourselves and rarely are willing to talk about openly. It may haunt you while trying to fall asleep at night or it flashes across your mind like an out of control strobe light when someone cuts you off on the highway. What if today is that day?