Signs of Autism

Today I wanted to post a graphic showing early signs of ASD. But most of the images were worded in the negative. Titles included language such as "Red Flags for Autism" and "Warning Signs for Autism." Descriptions of behavior such as "poor eye contact" and "not responding to sounds, noises, or name" had such negative connotations that it even made ME feel a little sad!

The truth is this.

We live in a fallen world. This isn't Eden or Heaven, and no one is unaffected by the things that happened in Genesis 3. That includes all of us "neurotypicals." Joints ache, teeth are crooked, cancer grows, people sin against each other. As I like to say, "We ALL messed up!" Disabilities are a noticeable form of the brokenness that is common to the human experience. I am not Pollyanna. So much happens within my family that no one outside sees; we share the delightful moments on social media, but not the hard ones. I want to write about those hard times sometime this month, but tonight let it suffice to say that autism has struggles. And knowing early signs is important, because intervention is extremely helpful.

BUT!!!

That being said, my son is a BLESSING! He's smart, funny, and simply amazing. And autism is part of who he is! He sees things from an entirely different perspective. He hears and knows things that I would have never noticed if he didn't teach me.

There's a big debate in the world of ASD. Is it a disorder? ("I have a child with autism.") Or is it just part of who he is? ("I have an autistic child.") Honestly, I think it's both. Eli has autism, and it's hard, and it's sometimes sad. Eli is also autistic, and his brain is super cool! He's amazing!

And in the end, I found a lovely graphic that expressed what I wanted to share. Be aware of these signs of autism so that you can get early help for your child. But don't be afraid if you do observe these behaviors, because your child is AWESOME just the way God made him or her!