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Fact: This headline is meant to ignite thought - I am grateful people are learning more about autism, that it is out of the darkness and is coming to light.

I am mad because some people still see it as a "bad word" when I see it as something like "My son is right handed" or "My son has blue eyes."

I don't see it as a curse - I see other people's opinions, other people's attitudes being, at times, destructive to people living along the autistic spectrum.

Here is an example of what I mean:

Sam's first difficulty with education came as a result of his need to swing during recess on a specific swing.

I didn't know it at the time, but swings are a therapy tool for many occupational therapists who work with children on the autistic spectrum.

Before we knew Samuel was on the autistic spectrum, here is what happened when he followed his natural bent, his natural method for keeping himself calm during a stressful time.

Educators said:

"He gets so upset when someone is on that swing, the one closest to the classroom"

"He pushed a little girl off the swing he thinks is his."

"He is dangerous to himself and others, we have to restrain him"

From his sister, Emma: "I saw them dragging Samuel across the playground"....(They call it 'escorting' and I have to trust they followed the guidelines and training they received - Emma saw it as dragging, I am simply quoting her observation, humiliation and anger at seeing her little brother publicly treated this way.)

April is not only Autism Awareness Month, it is also National Poetry Month. This morning I wrote before and after rondolet style poems to illustrate a bit of Samuel's experience.

"He is dangerous" they said?
(The only sound I heard were his animal-like wails)
"He is dangerous" they said?
Ammo-filled words pummel his spirit with dread
His behavioral clues left scattered trails
Professionals spinning, weaving, chasing tails
"He is dangerous" they said?

Instead of this being a battleground, educators could have made an accomodation according to legal standards. They could have allowed Samuel to go onto the playground five minutes early specifically to swing, for example.

They could have explained to Samuel and all the children in the classroom why they were doing this - that it isn't for "play" for Samuel, it is to benefit his learning and the learning of other children.

This could have been a point of breakthrough.

And in these days of budget cuts, this one simple accomodation could have saved the school district and the taxpayers thousands of dollars.

The good news is, everything changed once we discovered what was the root cause of Samuel's need to swing.

The good news is, the school he attends now has a culture that appreciates him and values him for exactly who he is - a child who has unique needs and some differences because he has atypical neurology. He lives along the autistic spectrum, as do 1 in 150 children. Many of them, like Samuel, are high functioning and the autism goes undetected well into kindergarten and beyond.

"Sam is so happy!" the boss said with a smile
He feels, knows, experiences nothing but love
"Sam is so happy!" the boss said with a smile
His hours at school now a joy, not a trial
The classroom setting may not fit like a glove
But the school culture is like heaven above
"Sam is so happy!" the boss said with a smile

The bad news is there are still children out there - who are undiagnosed or who may be diagnosed yet still not with simple accomodations in place.

They are "misbehaving" and being sent home from school, being denied their rights to an education - because simple accomodations aren't in place.

The good news is there is hope.

There has to be hope.

This is why I am mad that it is World Autism Awareness Day. Because there are so many people out there who should get it and still don't.