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.

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 

About That Boy

JJ loves to read and draw. He loves to play and swim. He loves to create and imagine.

JJ loves his family and all babies. He loves his friends and school. 

He's just like everyone else yet he is like no other. He's unique. He's the same but he's different too. JJ is on a whole other level.

He's predictable but spontaneous. He's shy yet he's talkative.  He's full of energy and positive vibes. Beginning and ending each day with gratitude, he got this!

He surprises us each day and he will surprise you too!

www.instgram.com/juanchodoing

He is kind.

This is what matters.

 

 

A Super Power

When you hear him say, "Autism is my superpower!", it is amazing. The word autism, in our home, is not a taboo word. It is one of empowerment. It is one to embrace.

He is not lucky; he is blessed. Blessed that he can speak, blessed that he can hear, blessed that he can walk, blessed that he can eat and live a healthy and happy daily life of a child.

Autism does not inhibit him. Rather it inspires him and pushes him beyond limits that society has placed before him.

He did not speak until the age of three and half. He was at doctor appointment after doctor appointment. He saw many specialists. He also went to speech therapy and occupational therapy outside of school. He started Pre Kindergarten, in pull ups and not yet able to verbally communicate. He was placed on the middle of the spectrum and was given a label.

I am thrilled to say that he is high functioning and thriving! With LOVE and dedication, with hard work and determination and with acceptance, his world is one of joy without limits.

I often forget that he has an autism diagnosis. He is like every other typical child yet at the same time, so very unique.

If a parent does not want to admit or accept that their child has autism and does not seek out help, they are doing a disservice to the health and well being of their child. There is nothing to be ashamed of.

To learn of JJ's journey please refer to the archives where I have his stories posted.

Any questions or comments, please feel free to contact me.

There is still so much to share.

xoxo

Dany

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!!!

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....

My Boy: Part 90

AUTISM- What is it?  No, really..what IS it? Why does is vary 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.



Now, would you know if you saw him?

My Boy: Part 87

JJ is still at school. He should be getting home in about an hour. I got some things done today but I miss him. I missed his presence when I went to the store and ran my errands. When he got on the bus this morning, I already wanted him back home. I know that I am fortunate and blessed when he gets off the school bus in the afternoon. I am blessed that he is home with me and Daddy. It the days, sometimes when you start thinking, many children never make it home to their parents. There are many stories where you hear that children never made it home. It is heart breaking, it is sad. You put them on the bus in the morning....... (I cannot continue with that) FAITH, that is what we have to keep. The unwavering faith. I thank God every day for my husband and son. Each day, we let each other know we are loved, by words and by manners. It is such a blessing. He is a super kid. He is a great boy to mommy and daddy. He is super special. He has something in him that is awesome, too awesome for words. I am happy that he is my son. Let's see what he has to say about school today..Sometimes he says it is a secret..Hey, but at least he is happy and can vocalize his emotions. He is a talker. Sometimes at a million miles per hour. In the end, I thank god for that. What a huge difference/improvement from when my husband and I first sent him to school. He could not even talk. He was still in diapers. He was just diagnosed with ASD. But it is OK. Here we are 3 years later and what a turn around it has been. Like I always say, he may have autism but autism doe snot have him.

My Boy: Part 83

JJ has had a very good summer. In one week he will be back to school. He really misses going to school and being with his friends. He wants to take the school bus. He always enjoys the ride. Today, we got him some school supplies. He loves to go shopping.. His best thing though, was getting a bag full of little Halloween creatures from the dollar store. He came home and played with them in the kinetic sand. He loves sensory play, it is so relaxing for him. He has been strumming on the guitar along with daddy. Through out the summer, he has been reading a lot. He has been active in imagination as well. His skills have sharpened and I am truly impressed. Today he was practicing his fine motor skills using a hole puncher. trying to get him to use both hands because at first he was a dominant left handed boy and his OT at school has made him use mainly his right hand. He can use both quite well. He plays the guitar as a left handed person does. He practices his writing and already got his lunch bag and book bag all set for his first day of first grade. What a big boy. Mommy and Daddy are so proud of him. He literally teaches me about exotic animals all the time. that is his thing. Don't you dare call an opossum a rodent. it is a marsupial because they have pouches that carry their young. My piece of the puzzle. My indigo. So blessed. he is going into first grade with a great vocabulary. When he first started school in PK3, he was non verbal. He could not talk or say his name. Now he will ask a million questions and many times not your typical 6 year old type questions. I get questions like, Why did God make us? That is just the tip of this autistic iceberg.

My Boy: Part 67

Some Fun Facts about JJ...

He likes small and tiny toys and figures.

He likes to put those toys and figures inside plastic bags, socks, ziplocs, bookbags, pouches or whatever else can hold something.

He always has to have and hold something small inside of one of his hands. Whichever hand he is holding something in, he will use the other to write if he needs / has to do so.

He is very sensitive to loud noises and bright lights / sun. He will cover his ears and eyes when exposed to either one.

He flaps out of excitement.

He lines up his toys.

He loves to read.

He is a morning person for the most part and can be sometimes crabby after school for the first few minutes.

He has many little obsessions at a time such as Angry Birds, Star Wars and Mario Brothers.

So..what do you want to know about JJ? Ask away..we look forward to your questions and will reply to you.
Thank you!!
P.S. The questions and answers will help in brainstorming and preparing for a part of the book I plan on putting together for Jorge's Autism Journey. The above fun facts were just something quick that I could think of from the top of my head. Let me know what you would like to know. I appreciate your time and interest.