Lights, Walks, Awareness! Go....

Ahhh, April - Autism Month! Time for blue lights, puzzle pieces and Autism Speaks campaigns. Time for memes and blogs (like mine) to spend 30 days sprinkling awareness on the masses and bringing NT's (neuro-typicals) everywhere into the fold. Okay not so much like that but kinda. but I hope you know! For every 1 you hear from there are 5 just plodding along, a little more quietly. Because today after all really is just April 1st. April Fools. When you have a child/loved one or you yourself live in the Spectrum of Autism Disorders - EVERY day is autism awareness day. It was not gone yesterday, and we do not turn it Off on May 1st.

Autism Awareness is not meant for us Rainbow dwellers. It is for those not familiar, not so In the Know. And it's a good thing to share. To do things that spark conversation, or make folks ask questions. Autism Speaks happens to be one such organization that gets a lot of "bells & whistles" for April - they are the creators of the Light it Up Blue National campaign. They have a "brand" and at this point, lots and lots of people recognize the Blue Light, the puzzle piece and so on. Isn't that awareness?? Isn't that a good thing? There are many controversial views on the Autism Speaks Organization. What they "do" and for who. And so on. You can find research and info to support either position you want to have, either for or against them. I can only weigh in on mine.

Autism Speaks does not speak for Team Reid, Autism the disorder Speaks through Team Reid.  We do walks and turn on blue lights not FOR Autism Speaks but because of them. Because they remind me to speak up, that we are not alone. That we don't have to be quiet. That there are changes being made all the time to make sure the voices of the kids in the spectrum are heard, be it in their classes or communities and I am glad that I know Autism Speaks has a bigger mouth than mine, and can go to the unaware at the local legislation level all the way down to the big Hill and get shit done where I alone can not.

I don't think they are without flaws, and I don't think they are the Only 1.  I know there are many many organizations worthy of my support that are doing equally as Big things for the cause. If you are in the Rochester NY area check out Kite Flite or the Walk With Me Easter Seals event, I will give to or do their events too. Shoot, enough ambition and I will create my own even! just you wait <3 I think raising money & giving back is supposed to be done with out my own agenda. Just in the spirit of giving to a cause or supporters of a cause that matters to me. That I know. But if I do have an agenda then here it is: WE do it because WE want to.  Because we want to talk about Autism and we want you to as well! We want to talk about the kids and families living with Autism Spectrum disorders and how to make classrooms and communities a place of acceptance. I will light it up RAINBOW if I need to, but this month We Light It Up BLUE to support the families and kids in our community not "Autism Speaks the Organization".  We do what ever it takes because Team Reid is how Autism Speaks in our house.