I attended the AutismOne/Generation Rescue 2012 Conference over Memorial Day weekend, so I’ve been home for a full week now. Many people have asked me (in person and via private messages) how the event was…it was…in one word – INTENSE. With so many tremendous presenters, vendors, and opportunities to network and connect with other registrants; both years I have attended A1, I’ve left feeling completely exhausted. Good exhausted, though!
Traveling with a dear friend (made along this journey) made the time spent en-route and in the conference hotel that much sweeter. We found countless reasons to laugh, several reasons to cry and many reasons to celebrate as we reconnected with old friends and met new ones along the way. We arrived after the culinary day had already taken place, but dove in head first the next morning ready to learn, learn and learn some more!

Because I tend to want to look good myself, I often find myself expecting my kids to do what makes me look good to others. Sit still, be quiet, don’t talk too loud, smile nicely, fold you napkin in your lap, get good grades in school, and excel in your sport. This list goes on and on and on. When my second child was born, I quickly realized that it was going to be impossible for me to continue parenting in this way.
Lizzie was diagnosed with autism shortly after her second birthday. At this time, I had begun learning what made her different and what her needs were. The only problem was that this often conflicted with the social norm.
One day I decided to meet my husband for lunch with Lizzie. We ordered at the counter and then quickly sat at an open table as we waited for our food. Lizzie hadn’t been out of the house in weeks. Between her rigid therapy schedule and the fact that it was difficult to keep her from wandering, it was easier to just stay home.
Shortly after we got to our table, Lizzie stood up in the booth, gripped the edge and started jumping. At first it was just harmless little bounces. Then it turned into huge jumps where she appeared to be using all her strength to slam her feet as hard as she could down on that booth.

Last year I attended my first AutismOne/Generation Rescue conference in Chicago. It. Was. Amazing. So much great information…so many amazing speakers…so many tremendous vendors – all in one place. That’s why I’m looking forward to attending this year’s AutismOne/Generation Rescue conference again this year being held May 23-27th.
The line up of speakers is nothing short of stellar. (Think: Jenny McCarthy, Virgina Breen, Dan Burns, Andrew Wakefiled, Jeff Bradstreet, Mayer Eisenstein, Martha Herbert, Kerri Rivera, Michael Linden, Mark Blaxill & Dan Olmstead and so, so many more.)
Now, if you’re unable to take off of work or leave your child(ren) at home with someone else, fear not – the entire conference will be streamed live HERE!

Parents frequently confide to me when they have lost their patience. Fathers as well as mothers share their guilt and their heartbreak when this occurs. As one mother said to me recently, "My mother yelled at us, and I vowed to never yell at my children. Now I'm becoming a yeller. What's wrong?"

“When God closes a door, He opens a window.” (Author unknown)
As I stood in front of 80 moms at the National Autism Association of North Texas Autism Moms’ Evening Out on May 4th, I was in awe of all the hard work, determination and love that was packed into one room. The inner strength of this group of women was truly inspiring.
As my eyes scanned the room, bouncing from face to face in the crowd, I was humbled by the fact the each of these women had traveled the same road I had...and all had become stronger, braver and more compassionate than they once were. Some were familiar faces that brought back memories from a specific struggle in my autism journey. Others were new faces. But it didn’t matter, we already knew each other.
For each of us had heard those dreaded words, “Your child has autism.” Each of us has stumbled trying to put our child back together again piece-by- piece. And each of us has our own book-worthy story. The stories my differ in the details, but in the end we all want the same thing….healing for our child.

Most parents, even those that are unaware, struggle with sensory issues if they have a child on the spectrum. A sensory craver is one that looks for sensory input, craving the sensation it gives them. As a result behaviors may ensue that are less than obvious to parents. I wanted to give a short red flag list I read for parents to refer to, in hopes this may help you identify needs your children have and get help.
Visual: likes flashing lights, spinning objects, prefers TV/video games
Auditory: uses loud voice, makes background noises, and enjoys noisy places

Summer Camp for My Son and Yours: New Beginning for Teens and Adults with Autism
By Angela Day
”Unteachable.” That’s the label our school district put on my son, Mason Day, when he was three years old. They anchored him behind a desk and had him do the same task over and over…then wondered why, halfway through the year, he stopped doing it correctly.
Possibly because he was bored?
That never occurred to the school. When he was four years old, I started teaching him at home using Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), a teaching style targeted to children with autism. Within three months he went from completely non-verbal to a vocabulary of 123 words. By age seven he was promoted, with supports, to a regular classroom.
Speed forward a decade. Mason is in 11th grade and is 18 years old. He has worked at Hobby Lobby, the Lutheran Church, and TJ Max. He also volunteers at the Recycling Plant, one of the best unpaid helpers they’ve had. Mason works hard, stays on task, and strives for perfection, but recycling is not really satisfying to him. He feels unchallenged because he’s not working in his field of interest.

In her second guest blog post for us, Stacy Baugh tackles the topic of shopping for new clothes with her precious daughter who lives with Sensory Processing Disorder and Asperger's Syndrome. How many parents out there raising kids with ASD and/or SPD can relate to this?
NEW SEASON, NEW CLOTHES
By Stacy Baugh
Each year I enjoy looking forward to Spring – new leaves on the trees, flowers blooming, weather just right for leaving the windows open. Unfortunately this change of season also brings a need for new clothes for my daughter, Emily. Time to put away the blue jeans & long sleeve shirts and bring out the shorts & t-shirts. Not only that, but it usually means getting an entire wardrobe of brand new clothes since she’s usually grown a couple inches since the previous year. For some people this might be something to look forward to, but for my daughter this twice-a-year excursion is something we dread and try to put off as long as possible.

Why is it so hard for moms to take a break? What can fathers do to help?
First of all, struggling with taking a break from maternal responsibilities is normal. This is hard for the mothers of typical children—who presumably have a little less to be preoccupied about than mothers of children who have autism and other special needs.