Mission Autism

Skylar, age 3

I woke up this morning with the thought that God is pleased. I smiled at this thought. I do not recall ever feeling that God is pleased with me. I've gotten into the good habit lately of reading my lesson in A Course in Miracles as soon as I get up. Well, right after I make the coffee. My routine used to be to make coffee and turn on CNN to see what's going on in the world. Now I would rather read my ACIM book than watch tv.

While I was making coffee this morning I was thinking about autism. I have been wanting to teach autistic children since my four year old nephew, Skylar, was diagnosed with it two years ago. My family does not have a history of this disorder so the diagnosis took us all by surprise. Generally speaking, children with autism have trouble with communication and social interaction. When I heard how many children are born with autism, I thought, "there really needs to be something done about this". Autism affects more children than diabetes, leukemia and AIDS combined. When I became aware of the statistics I wondered what the world will be like in twenty years when these children become adults. I wondered what would my nephew's future be like. So, that's when I decided that I was going to dedicate my life to this cause.

After I got my coffee and read my lesson, I thought, "maybe I should turn on CNN just to make sure I'm not missing anything". Moments after I turned the channel to CNN I realized it is Autism Awareness Day and CNN is dedicating the whole day to autism. I had no idea it was Autism Awareness Day, after all I hadn't watched the news in over a week.

In between watching the segments on autism, I read the text in my ACIM book. As I was reading I realized something rather profound. I guess I would call it a revelation rather than a realization. I am not doing these lessons just for myself. I'm doing them for myself and everyone else. I want to know that I am whole, complete and perfect. I want to know peace. So I want to teach those things.

I wrote in my last post that maybe I should dedicate a whole blog to my passion to teach children. Now I'm thinking that this passion is not separate from my spiritual journey. It is a part of my spiritual journey.

Most children with autism have normal if not above normal cognitive abilities. The problem is that they're missing the wiring in their brains necessary to make thoughts into speech. Some of them eventually develop the connections to be able to speak, some do not. They also can be highly sensitive to their environment. It is like they live in a different world than the rest of us do. It is more like they are trapped within their own minds. They can not on their own, as far as I know, come into our world, but we can go into their world and bring them into ours.

I have watched many videos on You Tube that autistic individuals have made. They're thoughts are insightful and poetic. They see the world much differently than we do. In a way, they are interconnected with the energy of their environment.

Today on CNN there was a story of an autistic 19 year old. He has never spoken but his mother taught him to type. She asked him how his day was and he typed, "It was like a floating kangaroo that kept the world invisible". Later the interviewer asked him if he is happy and he wrote that he couldn't say he is happy all the time because happiness is a state of mind. Sometimes he is happy and sometimes he experiences hollowness. I don't remember exactly what he said, but I think that's pretty close.

Here is a link to a video called "In My Language", created by an autistic woman. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnylM1hI2jc It's an amazing video.

For more info on autism this is a very informative site: www.autismspeaks.org

Many autistic children possess astounding talents and abilities They have much to offer the world if they have the proper guidance at an early age. This is what I want to provide. My college education was in graphic design, so I do not yet have the degree I need to formally teach. What I can provide is patience and love and without that, what methods or skills learned in college are useless. I can't afford college right now and I feel that if a degree is needed the opportunity will arise. I do trust that God will provide.

In the text in ACIM I read that the body's function is communication. I want to help these children remove the obstacles that are keeping them from being able to communicate. If I can help them learn to talk, that would be great. If not, I can teach them to write or type or communicate using sign language. If they love music or art I can encourage the development of those abilities. I don't want this world to be deprived of the thoughts of these amazing and beautiful children. I want them to be able to share the gifts God gave them.

Skylar is such a loving boy. He is starting to show some musical talents and interests in electronics. His motor skills are well above average, bordering on astounding. He doesn't speak, but understands and follows directions well. It breaks my heart to see him in pain. You can literally see the frustration on his face when he wants to communicate but can not. Usually he will let out a frustrated scream. Lately he has started biting.

He is learning though and the doctors do believe he will speak. He's learning sign language in school and was so proud to show me he learned how to sign "more". He is also becoming more social. My fiance and I went to his house on Easter. I came in first and Skylar gave me a hug, which he has done many times before. Then John walked in. Normally Skylar doesn't even acknowledge John's existence, but this time he actually hugged John. It was like he finally recognized him after all these years.

Skylar hasn't always been like this. Like many children with autism they developed normally until about 18 month of age. He was such an expressive baby (as you can see in the pictures) and loved to interact with people. Then we noticed he hadn't started speaking and thought he should be. He did say momma, but that was it. The doctors would say that children develop at their on pace and to just give him time. Well, at two he was still not speaking and starting to develop obsessive/compulsive behaviors. That is when he was diagnosed.

It is likely Skylar will turn out to be fine, maybe just a little eccentric. He is on the higher functioning end of the spectrum. I believe every child with autism can be reached, if seen as perfect as God created them and not as bodies. I believe through God all things are possible.

"The Will of God is without limit, and all power and glory lie within it. It is boundless in strength and in love and in peace. It has no boundaries because its extension is unlimited, and it encompasses all things because it created all things. You are the Will of God because that is how you were created. Because your Creator creates only like Himself, you are like Him. You are part of Him Who is all power and glory, and are therefore as unlimited as He is."

"Ask and it shall be given you, because it has already been given. Ask for light and learn that you are light. If you want understanding and enlightenment you will learn it, because you decision to learn it is the decision to listen to the Teacher Who knows of light, and can therefore teach it to you."
ACIM Chapter 8, The Journey Back