I don't like Autism Speaks.....but Im still wearing Blue

 

Today is Tuesday, April 2nd 2013.  Today is World Autism Awareness Day.  Today we are rocking BLUE.  Today I refused to get into politics about Autism.  Today.....today I honor my son, his friends and their parents for the struggles and obstacles they face.  I honor them for the victories they have achieved and the miles they have come.  I honor them by "Lighting it up BLUE"

I wasn't even going to go here today.  I didn't even think I would post a blog honestly.  Then my personal new feed on facebook started to piss me off.  Friends making comments about how they refuse to do anything Blue because Autism Speaks is evil, how vaccines cause Autism, how the world is ending, how every kid is 50 years will have Autism.....I could go on. 

First, I personally do NOT stand with Autism Speaks.  I do not like their organization practices, I would love to see them spending more money on helping families then doing endless research studies that always come out empty or inconclusive.  Because of this I do not donate money to Autism Speaks but instead to other local non for profit organizations local to me.  Let me tell you...just because we do not give money to Autism Speaks, or agree with their practices I  WILL light it up Blue and I will acknowledge that they are the ones who got the ball rolling for ALL of us.   

I am a strong believer that there are many causes of Autism, some being vaccines.  Guess who opened the doors of Autism Awareness to get the voice of the Anti-vaxer out there....Autism Speaks.  They brought it to the surface, they are the reason so many kids have been evaluated, or parents have become educated on vaccine and environmental safety.  

I know many can say, "I am aware, i live this everyday"  we don't realize though, there are so many who are not.  There are TONS of people that have no idea what Autism is.  They see it talked about but couldn't tell you one characteristic of it.  So yes, I live it everyday, and April is annoying, but i keep telling myself not everyone knows.  Maybe something I do in April will educate one person who can get a kid into therapy early....nothing hurts more then hearing someone say "oh he's 3.5, he doesn't talk but that's ok, he's a boy".... I cringe, because not everyone knows. 

So put politics aside, put cause aside and Honor these kids......put on your blue big kid underpants and spread the word