Autism Awareness Month, or as many in the autism community like to call it, Autism Action Month, is ending today. For some of us — we are happy to see it go, as the response to autism and the awareness of what this developmental and neurological disability is nowhere near where it should be. Some in the autism community, including self-advocates with autism, look at the increasing numbers (1-50 school age children have autism spectrum disorder, or ASD, according to... Read more
What would a parent do for their child? Anything. How far do we go for them? As far as it takes. What do we give up? Whatever we need to. What do we change about ourselves? Everything. When you add special needs into the picture, then your ability to go the distance for your child becomes the stuff legends are made of. And, there are no thanks necessary – it’s just what you do. I have quit jobs, stayed up... Read more
We’ve hit the middle of April, and while there was a flurry of focus on autism at the start of the month, it still is very much “Autism Awareness Month.” Awareness events sponsored by local and national organizations continue to occur across the United States, but sometimes I wonder how much real “awareness” is actually happening? How many of these events just serve as fundraisers for the organizations sponsoring it? Fundraising is not bad, and of course autism organizations must... Read more
If you’re Muslim, you can’t help but be thinking, oh God – let it not be a Muslim. Please, don’t let whoever is behind the explosions at the Boston Marathon be Muslim. It crosses most of our minds. I’ll start with myself – from the time I was in college at the University of Maryland in the 1990s and the Oklahoma City bombing happened, to now, it’s the first thing I think when I hear about a bombing – please,... Read more
Patheos is asking its writers and bloggers to finish the sentence: Why I Am A … in about 200 words. This is my response. He sits in the bathtub as the water fills up. I add some bubble bath and when the tub fills, I turn off the tap. He’s at peace, humming, gathering suds in his hands. I go into the bedroom to put the laundry away and hear the buzz of the Jacuzzi jets go on. The bubbles... Read more
“He (Musa) said: ‘Oh my Lord! Expand my breast for me and make my affair easy to me, and loose the knot from my tongue (that) they may understand my word … (Quran 20:25:28)” One and a half years ago, I took the plunge and began sharing our son’s life lived with autism, my struggles with keeping strong in my Islamic faith and residing at this intersection of faith and autism. With a post on Ramadan Despair, I shared what... Read more
This is a guest post from Rabia Chaudry, who is a columnist for Altmuslim on the Patheos Muslim Channel. Patheos is asking its writers and bloggers to finish the sentence: Why I Am A … This is Rabia’s response. I am a Muslim least of all because I was born into a Muslim family, and most of all because it elevates my existence. My body is disciplined through fasting and ritual prayer. My soul is disciplined through worship, contemplation and sacrifice.... Read more
He’s a regular parlor-room magician. But instead of pulling a never-ending trail of colorful handkerchiefs or a bouquet of flowers from his sleeves, we are retrieving remote controls, spoons, wads of tissues, beads, toy cars, small stuffed animals and hairbrushes. Yesterday, when I announced bed time to him, he stood up sleepily and started to stagger upstairs. In true Lil D style of late, he was wearing two hoodies over an undershirt. (He just finds them around the house and... Read more
This is a guest post from Patheos Muslim Channel columnist Hesham Hassaballa. Patheos has asked bloggers to finish the sentence: Why I Am A … When this question was posed to me, I had to pause for a second and think: Why am I a Muslim? Indeed, I was raised Muslim, but I had a faith crisis during university years, and I still chose Islam after that crisis abated. Why? Well, its strict monotheism makes complete sense to me. Moreover,... Read more
I helped Lil D get ready for school this morning, as I always do. Wake up, go to the bathroom, strip sheets that have been dirtied by yet another accident, brush teeth, change clothes, downstairs for breakfast. Put lunch in his backpack, and when the time comes, put the harness on and escort him to the bus. Lil D has worn a harness on the bus for years. On the special needs bus my son rides, you need to be... Read more
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