A friend of mine has an autistic son. While the image of a child retreated to her own world in the corner of a room might be our first impression or expectation of autism, that is not always the case.
My friend sponsors a very active group of distance runners that frequently gathers together early on Saturday mornings at the popular running store he manages, and his son is often "making his appearance," as my friend says. His son might be engrossed in the Transformers design on the quilt he has spread out on the sidewalk in front of the store. Or, he'll be trying to run about with a pillowcase pulled over his head and we're trying to divert him from running into obstacles and hurting himself.
I don't know how many among our group realize the boy is autistic, or just notice his behavior is somewhat "different." My friend is very open about his son's condition, however, and got involved in a fundraising run for autism research.
Unfortunately, the state we live in, Texas, is "'on the bottom of the totem pole in terms of resources,' said Michelle Guppy, who runs Texas Autism Advocacy, an online network intended to help parents navigate the state's bureaucracy." Read more
I am currently on contract at the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, and they estimate about 50,000 children have autism-related disorders. We suffer from a shortage of resources and trained professionals in this field.
If you're a runner or triathlete, you can get involved in raising awareness and funding for research through the Organization for Autism Research.
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A friend of mine has an autistic son. While the image of a child retreated to her own world in the corner of a room might be our first impression or expectation of autism, that is not always the case.
My friend sponsors a very active group of distance runners that frequently gathers together early on Saturday mornings at the popular running store he manages, and his son is often "making his appearance," as my friend says. His son might be engrossed in the Transformers design on the quilt he has spread out on the sidewalk in front of the store. Or, he'll be trying to run about with a pillowcase pulled over his head and we're trying to divert him from running into obstacles and hurting himself.
I don't know how many among our group realize the boy is autistic, or just notice his behavior is somewhat "different." My friend is very open about his son's condition, however, and got involved in a fundraising run for autism research.
Unfortunately, the state we live in, Texas, is "'on the bottom of the totem pole in terms of resources,' said Michelle Guppy, who runs Texas Autism Advocacy, an online network intended to help parents navigate the state's bureaucracy." Read more
I am currently on contract at the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, and they estimate about 50,000 children have autism-related disorders. We suffer from a shortage of resources and trained professionals in this field.
If you're a runner or triathlete, you can get involved in raising awareness and funding for research through the Organization for Autism Research.
May 6, 2009 - 5:59pmThis Comment
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