Looking for YOU!

I did not know what autism is.
I only heard the word autism a handful of times.
I just saw one billboard about autism.
I still did not know what autism is.
Back then I remember seeing 1 in 1,000 or something like that.
Now it is 1 in 59!
And not so long ago it was 1 in 125 when my son was officially diagnosed.
Then I remember posting I love my 1 in 88..
Then 1 in 68...
Now, 1 in 59 children are on the autism spectrum.
Read that again, 1 in 59!
What do you think is going on?

Please comment and share. 

I would love your input. 

From there I will formulate a more concise blog post.

To Fill in the Blanks....

1. Autism is a super ability. It is something not fully understood. Yet, here, it is fully embraced. It is something to be celebrated and understood to the best ability we can. I can help you with that! New parents, newly diagnosed, curious parents...whoever wants to be educated. I am here for you to shed some light on autism. It is not enough with awareness, we need to end the stigma that is associated with autism.
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5. Can YOU fill in these blanks?
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13. My son is just like your child, only different. I write that with a huge smile because it is an oxymoron but it is so true when you think about it. So, think about it. They play, sing, draw, color, dance, and go to school (or are home schooled). They test our patience, are messy sometimes, and just loved to be loved. Our kids are bundles of joy, inspiration and imagination. They are inquisitive and need their voices heard. They are one in the same, only different because mine has a label. That is all. But in reality, we do not pay attention to that label that is placed on him. We see the ABLE not the label. He is able to do everything that a typical, healthy child can do. It has to be all about attitude and perception.
    

10 Awesomely Amazing Things that Einstein Said (and What We Can Learn From Them)

Albert Einstein was a famous genius. As we look at and analyze what he has been quoted, we
will realize that we are all geniuses, too! 
Hey, we may even become famous one day. First, we
must believe then dare to dream.
Let’s Go!
 
1. “A person who never made a mistake, never tried anything new.”
– A.E.

We learn from mistakes. After all, mistakes are proof that we are trying. If we do not try,
we will never have the chance to make mistakes. If we do not make these mistakes, how
can we ever learn? We all make mistakes. Mistakes give us the fuel to keep learning and
bettering ourselves. Mistakes give us the courage to try new things to see what can really
work for us. We are human. We make mistakes. Do not ever be afraid to make a mistake
because you will hinder yourself from learning valuable new things.

2. “The important thing is to not stop questioning. Curiosity has it
own reason for existing.” – A. E.

Kids ask hundreds of questions a day because they are curious. They want to know about
the world around them and how to navigate it successfully. Nothing is out of bounds for
kids. As you may know, they will question everything. We must be like kids again. We
must stay wondrous and curious about the world around us. We must keep those
questions rolling. Let’s be curious about math, science, art – whatever fuels your soul.
This is our reason we are here. We exist to learn. We were born to explore.

3. “In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.” – A. E.

Sometimes when things get difficult for us, we let negativity get in our way. Doubts can
enter our mind. Feelings of defeat can pass over us. Although we have choices, during a
difficult situation it may be tough to realize that. But, in fact, we do have great choices.
We can choose to let the difficult things control us or we can rise and see the
opportunities. Instead of asking ourselves why it is happening to us, we must ask
ourselves, what we can learn from the situation. What is the difficult situation trying to
teach us? That question brings great opportunities to better us. So, the next time you are
facing a challenging situation, remember that is an opportunity to learn something new.

4. “A ship is always safe at shore but that is not what it’s built for.”
– A.E.

Nothing really can happen to a ship when it is docked at shore but then when you think
about it, what good are they? Yes, they are safe, but ships, like us, were made to move.
When we are home, we are in our comfort zone. We are safe because we are close to
what we know but we were made for so much more. We were built for exploring,
learning, traveling, sharing- to name a few things. When we step out of our comfort zone,
we give ourselves the chance to learn something new and to try things that may enhance
our lives. So, let’s remember to take chances. Let’s take risks. That is how we learn, and
we teach others.

5. “There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though
nothing is a miracle. The other is though as everything is a
miracle.” – A.E.

We should live life to the fullest. Let’s make every moment count. Each day, we are
given a fresh start to learn, teach, experience and create. Everything we get to do is a
miracle. Every little thing. Of course, we must have the mind set to look at it that way.
When we are on the right track, even the smallest of things will appear as miracles. The
choice we make in how we want to live our lives is simple. The positive energy flows and
that cannot be denied. Abundance of positive opportunities appear in our day to day
happenings. If we choose not to see any miracles, we are surely missing out on all that
life has to offer us. For starters, we can choose to see our ability to learn as a miracle. So,
how do you want to live your life?

6. “Only one who devotes himself to a cause with his whole
strength and soul can be a true master. For this reason, mastery
demands all of a person.” – A.E.

Lots of people can claim to be masters but what consists of a true master? We can only
become masters when we fully engage ourselves. When we give our all, when we use our
energy, strength, power and do things beyond the greatness of self, then we can become
masters. If you are not devoted, how can you master the task at hand? Whether it is
learning a new subject, learning a language or sport, devotion must be present. True
masters give it all they got. If we want mastery in any field, we can do it. Of course, we
can but we have to remember that mastery requires all parts of us. We get out all that we
put in.

7. “Never give up on what you really want to do. The person with
big dreams is more powerful than the one with all the facts.” –
A.E.

If you really want to do something, do it! No matter how many times you must start
again, just do it. If you truly desire that certain something, go for it and never, ever give
up on it. Give everything but up. We may fail at first, but you must use those failures as
stepping stones and building blocks to success. Get up and try again, try harder and try
something new but never give up on something that you truly want to do for yourself.
Dream, and dream big. Dreams give us power. We can have a million and one facts
memorized about a certain topic but what does that accomplish if we do not have dreams
to make something out of our lives? Remember, dreams are energy for our soul. Dreams
bring power to our abilities. So, dare to dream!

Meet Juancho

8. “Education is not the learning of facts, it’s rather the training of
the mind to think.” – A.E.

Education is all around us. But, many people seem to associate education happening
inside of a classroom and that is not the case. In school, we learn lots of facts. We
memorize terms, equations, timelines etc. That is not real education. As children, we are
usually told what to think not how to think. When we realize this, we must use this as an
opportunity to train our minds. When we become aware and train our minds to think, we
become powerful. This is when we are inviting true education to occur. We will begin to
look at all situations with fresh eyes and see that education is all around us. It is
everywhere we go. Education is in all that we do and see. It rarely happens sitting at a
desk. Education is within us and all around us. Everywhere we go, everything we do;
there is always something to learn. Education comes with us. It is within us and within all
things. It is about perception but most importantly training our mind to think.

9.“Everybody is a genius, but if you judge a fish by its ability to
climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing it is stupid.” – A.E.

It is true, it must be right? After all, Albert Einstein said it. But in fact, everybody is a
genius. We all are geniuses. So, pat yourself on the back because you rock! We are all
filled with great potential and capabilities. We are all good at something. (If we choose
to, we will see that we possess the power to be great at endless things.) we are limitless
beings. We can be better at something than the next person. In turn, that person can excel
at something we are not so good at. We all have different abilities. We can become more
powerful when we work as a community and combine our abilities but when a person is
judged by something they cannot do, they will believe they are not worthy or capable.
Thus, they will live their life, like the fish (who we know is a great swimmer but
obviously cannot climb a tree) only seeing what they are being judged by rather than
what they excel in. Let us not judge but understand.

10.“Once you stop learning, you start dying.” – A.E.

Learning is a lifelong process. Each and everyday we can learn something new no
matter how small this something may be. We must choose to be life long learners. We
must dwell in the possibilities. This is what life is all about. When we learn, we grow.
When we are not learning, how can we grow? And, if we do not grow, how can we live?
Remember. There is always something to learn. Everywhere we go and in everything we
do, there is always something to learn. We have the capability to learn endless
information. Let’s take advantage of that, life is about learning. After all, Albert Einstein
was right, an individual starts dying when they stop learning, don’t you think?

Go out and learn something today. Choose to see the inspiration in our everyday lives.
After all, you’re equipped with all you need to get on the right track. Remember, live life
to the fullest.

You’re a genius!

Would YOU Know?

Would you know?

Just by looking at some pictures, would you know?

 

 

Juanchodoing

You've read about him. You've heard about him. Now, you can see him in action .

The Instagram page dedicated to him is:
www.instagram.com/juanchodoing

#juanchodoing

Stop by. Say hello. Connect.

You'll see there's no difference, yet at the same time, all the difference in the world.

Questions?  Comments?

We are here.

To catch up on JJ's journey, look into the archives of the blog. The posts are entitled My Boy, beginning with Part 1.

Enjoy. Share. Spread the LOVE.
Raise Awareness.
Each One, Teach One

Love and Kindness,

Dany 

When I Knew

I was studying Teaching the Exceptional Child and I just knew. I mean I did not know anything but I knew. The similarities and scenarios. The symptoms and mannerisms. I knew. I just knew, But, I also knew nothing.

NOTHING and EVERYTHING all at once, the perfect PARADOX


Today there is:

Juancho



Do you really need to hold 6 different stuffed animals at once and cry if one of the fall to the ground?

Why are you running back and forth on your tippy toes?

Are the sounds really hurting your ears?


No coincidences, just blessings in disguise. Just at that time. At that exact time. Time stood still for what seemed to be about three years and at the same time, Time: it just flew on by and all of these thoughts circulated for what felt like three seconds.

It is all making sense but I still don't get it.

What do you mean my son has autism? Wait, OK that is why I am here. I am here to tell you my son has autism.  What IS Autism? What is our next step?

Whatever it takes.

WHATEVER it Takes.

WHEREVER it takes u.

I will make sure you fit in, all while standing out.

You will stand out. You were born to stand out.

After that day, I hugged him a little tighter and loved him more than ever.

My greatest professor

has not 1 degree

To JJ with LOVE

He is perfect in my eyes. He is my son.
He is pure and innocent. He is love and affection.
He's an old soul an indigo child; wise beyond his years.
He is sweet and he is kind. He is unique.
This makes him perfect.
I guess you can say he is perfectly imperfect. What is perfection anyhow? Perfect is subjective; with a special meaning or meanings according to whom you may ask. Does it exist? Yes it does but only when we believe.

JJ is not going to be something one day because he IS somebody today. He is an artist, scientist, musician, explorer..and so on. I do not ask him what he wants to be when he grows up. That is a limiting question. What else do you want to do when you get older? That is more like it. He is being taught that you do not just have to be one thing and pick one career and have just one passion and path in life.That limits his potential. His potential is infinite. He can and do whatever he chooses. Life is meant to be lived fully and enjoyed each day. In reality it is all of the little things that add up to make life amazing. It is all about a growth mindset and life long learning.

He is funny. He is a clown. He is kind to others. He loves children and babies. He respects himself and others. He loves science and art. He is an amazing swimmer. He is perfect in my eyes. He is my son.

The grades on his report card do not mean anything; what matters is that he knows it is OK not know but it is not OK to not try. Never give up and make mistakes because mistakes are proof that we are trying. What did you get on that test is not an imperative question but rather how did you feel taking the test? Did you try your best? Yes that is all that counts. In five years we will not remember that grade but we will remember how we felt.

I love you JJ. If you dream it you can do it!

Autism is your super power.

JUST DO IT!!!!

I Forget

And sometimes I forget. I forget that he has autism. It doesn't matter. It is absent. It can not be seen or heard. It is when he fits right in. It is when he is accepted by others. When he's included, I forget. That's what happened today. I forgot my son has autism. It didn't cone to mind. This is especially true as he was socializing with others and as he was greeting people who passed by at the park. A little girl played with him. They dug for worms. They were happy. They were playing and using their imagination. They were being kids. Together. No discrimination. He was even told he was cute. Then he made more friends. Two boys. My husband and I watched him play and interact. It was a game of tag then hide and seek. Whatever it was, he was smiling. He was communicating appropriately. He was with two other boys his age. Autism did not matter then. They liked him. When they had to leave, they told JJ they'll see him later. It was great joy to watch that. We gave him space and observed him. He was super happy and content. Just a regular kid. That is all. He fit right in. Autism didn't matter. At that time, it didn't. Not at all. For that, I'm grateful.

JJ, You are Wanted

A healthy child is a happy child and a happy child feels well and a child who feels well will always learn well.

I am so blessed that my son is happy and healthy. He has a lot of energy and is very creative. He loves to learn. He loves to write and read and definitely loves to try new things. I am very proud of him. He amazes me all the time.

He is cherished. He is wanted.

He motivates me to do more and to be more. He is our rock. He teaches us so much. This boy really has a wonderful soul and a heart of gold. I look forward to spending time with him. I often think of activities that we can do together and places that we can explore together. There is no other way I would rather spend my weekends and everyday than with my family. My rock, my inspiration and everything!!!

I want him to have the best childhood he can ever experience. I wish for him to have the fondest memories and to feel the love that both my husband and i have for him. That is so very important. I want him to know and understand that he is our gift. He is wanted. He means so much to us.

He is wanted.

It is awesome now how he is into Loorducation. He knows when I am taking a picture of him and asks questions about what I ma going to say  about the picture and where am I going to put it up. He gives feedback and shares his ideas. that is important. It is vital that his voice is heard and I am so thrilled that he enjoys sharing and expressing himself. We are forever grateful. FOREVER.

He is wanted.

He asks thousands of questions. Repeats hundreds of things. Obsesses over "little" things.

He is wanted.

Blasts from the Past

Awesome!! Learning happens everywhere. Education is in everything. Always capturing the moment. Visit loorducation on www.facebook.com/loorducation and all over social media @loorducation See what we are up to!!!

Paint Me a Picture

One day after school, I had a table set up for JJ. It was covered in newspapers. There were all types of papers to paint on set up. I put out all colors of paint and different styles of paint brushes. It was quite the invitation to paint. As soon as he got off of the bus, he flew to the table. He was very eager to start creating. He expressed how happy and excited he was. He really enjoyed it. This was something that he needed. It was very beneficial. That night he was calm and did a great job with homework.

Take time to paint.

You Want to do What?

He wants to use his Angry Bird sling shot to do something that I would have NEVER thought a 6 year old would say...

As we walked past Petco, he told me that he wanted to take all of the toys and things in there, put them all on his sling shot and send them all the way up to Heaven - for his 2 guinea pigs that passed away during the summer. Zebra Isabella and Fatty George. Those two animals were his best friends and he loved them so...

Yes, one by one, he told me he would take the pet supplies and blast them off into Heaven so Zebra and George could be happy and have things to play with.

Yes, my indigo. So proud of him.

I am glad he is not "typical". A six year old would usually want to take the sling shot and throw stuff to knock things down.

 



Autism is his blessing. He is empathetic. He has raw emotion. He is truly unique and innocent. He is on the spectrum and not only will he be somebody one day, he IS somebody today!!!

And that is it..short and sweet <3, Dany

 

Are You Ignoring Me?

Why Can't You Hear Me?

Are you deaf? Are you DEAF? I said that at the top of my lungs as loud as I can, right in front of him and still NO response. He stared ahead at the TV, without a twitch. Let's go back, a couple minutes beforehand I was calling out his name and he was not paying attention or so I thought. I finally became so frustrated that I shouted, "Are you deaf?", and still nothing. I could not help it. I did not know what was happening. I did not know what was going on. Why isn't my son responding? Oh my goodness, can he hear me?  Is this why he is not talking? Is this why  he does not babble or ask for things. You see, he was three years old. He has not yet spoken in a complete sentence. He could not tell you his name. He was non verbal. I believe he had said a few words, but that stopped. Then, nothing. It was literally a few words from what I can recall, then absolutely, nothing. He did not wave bye bye, was still in diapers, did not say his name and could not answer what was asked of him. What is going on? My son can not hear me. Fast forward, he has fluids in his ear and has decreased hearing because of it. Only about 20% capacity. We move along. He gets diagnosed with autism, we move along. Fast forward, he gets tubes in his ears and we move along. His speech begins to come and we move along. He hears better and that is why he is beginning to speak because he can now hear what is going on in the world around him. We move along.Blessings in disguise....

Why Can't You Hear Me?

Are you deaf? Are you DEAF? I said that at the top of my lungs as loud as I can, right in front of him and still NO response. He stared ahead at the TV, without a twitch. Let's go back, a couple minutes beforehand I was calling out his name and he was not paying attention or so I thought. I finally became so frustrated that I shouted, "Are you deaf?", and still nothing. I could not help it. I did not know what was happening. I did not know what was going on. Why isn't my son responding? Oh my goodness, can he hear me?  Is this why he is not talking? Is this why  he does not babble or ask for things. You see, he was three years old. He has not yet spoken in a complete sentence. He could not tell you his name. He was non verbal. I believe he had said a few words, but that stopped. Then, nothing. It was literally a few words from what I can recall, then absolutely, nothing. He did not wave bye bye, was still in diapers, did not say his name and could not answer what was asked of him. What is going on? My son can not hear me. Fast forward, he has fluids in his ear and has decreased hearing because of it. Only about 20% capacity. We move along. He gets diagnosed with autism, we move along. Fast forward, he gets tubes in his ears and we move along. His speech begins to come and we move along. He hears better and that is why he is beginning to speak because he can now hear what is going on in the world around him. We move along.Blessings in disguise....

If You're Flappy and You Know it....

AUTISM- What is it?  No, really..what IS it? Why does is very so? Where did it come from?  Why is it here?  When will it leave? Will it ever leave?  Who does it affect?  How does it affect and/or interfere with everyday life?  Is it a life sentence?  Do you know someone who has autism? Can autism be “cured” or treated? Is autistic a term you use? What are the autism terms and labels?

I can only answer a few of those questions and from my point of view only. As you know, my son JJ, has autism. Yes, he is an ASD child. He is on the autism spectrum. He was first diagnosed with PDD at the age of 3. He is now 6. I do not tend to labels so there is no need for me to always state that my son is high functioning autistic. I just say, when necessary, that my son is on the autism spectrum and just plainly that he is autistic. I mean, does it matter? Really? I have a son. I do not introduce him as my autistic son. Questions? I welcome them. Comments, yes, those too. Productive ones I keep and destructive ones get thrown out. autism has been a part of our lives for a little over three years now, well more than that but we did not know. And, does that matter? Before my son and studying for my undergraduate degree, I did not know what autism was? Yes, was..It is always changing, right? Yes..I remember seeing billboards about autism 1 in 125..then 1 in 88 and son on. What is this autism> One thing I can tell you is that autism is not the end of the world but the beginning of a whole new one. Yes, my son has autism. Autism does not have him. It is his super power. We are focusing on him using it to his advantage. It will not hinder him but we will make sure it does better him. It is not a disease. My son is NOT disabled, he is different abled. His brain is wired differently. He is unique. He is in his own world and I love entering i with love, compassion and patience. I learn from him everyday. It may not be easy at times but it sure is worth it.

JJ is AUSOME. He is a child. He loves to play, watch TV, read and all that good stuff. He loves school. He loves snacks. He can be crabby. He can be stubborn. But he is worth it. He matters. Social skills are an everyday learning experience for all of us. He just needs a little extra help in the right direction.
Flapping. Stimming. Buzzing, what have you - does not matter.
What really matters, what truly matters, what IS important is that he is healthy. He can see, walk, move, play, learn and is CAPABLE of becoming more awesome each and every day!!!

Now, would you know if you saw him?