Autism is on the rise. It’s all over the news, in every book and magazine I read, it is essentially, my life. With a son on the spectrum, it’s even more imperative for me to see WHY it’s on the rise. What can we do to help combat this, or is it simply on the rise because of the added research and case studies that are out there “catching” it more?
The website Thriving with Autism put together this amazing infographic. I’m a visual person, so it definitely helps to “see” what’s going on, vs. reading countless studies.
40% of kids with Autism have been bullied at school. This kills me. It is one of the things that I worry about the most with my autistic son and he’s only 4, yet has already experienced this to some degree. My oldest boy used to have a friend, a best friend, who would often come over to play. One day my son stopped inviting him over and I asked what was up. He would make excuses until finally one day he said, “He called Brady stupid and retarded and those things aren’t true so I stopped wanting him around my baby brother.”
I cannot even begin to tell you how much my heart ached for Brady and how much it swelled for my oldest. To take a stand against a friend like that. Just warmed my heart to know I’m not fighting this battle alone. My family is right there with me.
The site Thriving with Autism helps families like my own. To read up on the latest news, studies, see products that can help and just chat with others going through the same situations. It’s amazing having all of this knowledge and support right at my finger tips.
Even if you don’t have a child with Autism, I encourage you to check out the site. Chances are, you know of a family dealing with Autism and the more we all can learn about this rising condition, the more we can help society to stop singling those kids out to be bullied.
