AUTISM AWARENESS DAY

Bike Run For Autism in Alto Bonito Park:STARR COUNTY

Have some family fun and support Autism Awareness. As a mother of a child with Autism, I know how difficult life is for not only the child, but the family as well. It is crucial to spread more awareness of Autism and have the communities come together. It is not often that these events for Autism occur in Starr County, Tx., so to have amazing groups of people come together to present these types of events is incredible. Please don't miss the opportunity to gain valuable knowledge about Autism.

According to Autismspeaks, 1 in 88 children have autism (the numbers are increasing everyday) and only 5 percent of research funding goes to Autism research (Autism Speaks). It kind of makes you wonder if the numbers are so high, why is so little contributed to the research of Autism? The fact is, it is, so its up to the people to take a stand and take action to raise more awareness and possibly research funding. The children are the future of tomorrow and whatever we are doing to help them now will directly affect or change the world not just for them but for the rest of humanity.

GUESS WHO'S BACK!! BACK AGAIN!!!

It's been a long time since I've been online let alone blogging. My life is just overdrive busy with being a single mom, fulltime-student, worker etc.. and my special needs children. My children always come first before anything and the great thing about writing is you can always come back to it either when you have some time to think or you just have a lot on your mind that you need to express.

Fortunately, I have alot on my mind and I am in great need to express myself yet my time is very limited and I'm going tthrough this on sonic speed so please escuse my grammer as I don't have time to edit that much.

Anyways, something that has been bothering me lately has been this political season surrounding my community, which I'm sure has been going on everywhere throughout the country. Though where I'm from Politics is involved in everything especially in schools. I don't know if this is necessarily a good thing or a bad thing but I do know this, where there is greed and corruption there is evil.

What's funny is that these people involved in school politics claim they want to help our community and make a difference in our schools yet they haven't done anything for our children so far.

If you really want to help our community stop with the lies, end the corruption, and end the greed
involved in politics and education, because as long as these things continue to be a part of our school, politics, law etc..the system will always be flawed.

My words to them are as follows:

The first thing you need to do is start with your own children. You can't claim that you will help our children
and community when you do nothing for your own but teach them greed. Talk is cheap, don't just say you will make a difference to get people to vote for you, actually do something before you claim you know what's best. I don't believe in paid advertisements or billboards, they're as fake as the person who paid for it.

I can't say that my family is perfect but when there is an issue I take action the best way I can, when possible. I start with my children first because even if I don't get to make a difference in this world I know that my children eventually will carry on the legacy.

I'm not perfect and neither are my children, I'm human and I make mistakes yet I have learned so much about life. I'm not done learning, I still have a long way to go before I become wiser.

We have struggled so much yet that is what makes us stronger not only as a family unit but as individuals. It is in the struggles that a person can actually learn, teach, and help others.


P.S.  Whoever says "Life's a piece of cake" must be joking. Life is a whole cake that might be missing some elements or ingredients but so what, eat it all up, digest it and make the most of what you do have or better yet learn how to make a better tasting cake each time until you get it right, then teach the children the same ingredients so they can make their own cake. Don't worry if their cake turns out better than yours, it's all part of the plan. ;)

-Vane D. Lopez

The Vane D Dayz: y6hjnjmnn b

I Just thought I'd share this with the world. One day I was working on my blog and I stayed logged in and Aliyah started using the computer. Aliyah typed it! hehe. At least she's learning how to type now. Maybe there is a meaning to her mad typing. It's probably a different language but I think she was trying to tell me something. ;)

Click on the link below to read Aliyah's Blog post. Whether you can understand it or not, you gotta admit it's BEAUTIFUL!!

The Vane D Dayz: y6hjnjmnn b

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Open Your Eyes - Sean Delaney

OPEN YOUR EYES WORLD!!! It's time to PAY ATTENTION and do SOMETHING!!

ALIYAH VA HABLAR-Because Autism is silent but Aliyah speaks So Listen up!!!

Yesterday could of been considered our daily routine of simple procedures done at the children's hospital or any other hospital but something amazing happened and it wasn't planned. I sent off my kids to school early morning and headed out to the children's hospital with my daughter Aliyah and my dad (Aliyah's grandfather), while it was still pitch black outside. Aliyah was screaming as usual while I drove her to the hospital for over 50 miles from home. I kept trying to calm her down by saying "Aliyah its ok mija, you are only getting your teeth cleaned at the hospital and after they're done we'll get something to eat at McDonalds so you can go home and relax". She kept screaming and crying pointing her fingers to her mouth "papa papa papa". She hadn't eaten anything since yesterday but doctors orders were to not eat or drink anything before the dental procedure because she was getting general anesthesia. "It's ok mija after they're done you can eat something" but Aliyah wasn't having it, she kept screaming and even slapped my dad. "No Aliyah, that's not nice, we don't hit Welo". I couldn't help but feel sad that she was hungry and couldn't wait but I realized she had to get this done and she would be fine afterwards. Aliyah is getting better in morning schedules but when you mess with her food and breakfast prepare for war (lots of laughs).

As we arrived at the hospital Aliyah was very upset and uneasy so they immediately admitted her and started the registration process but she still had to wait because their were others ahead of her. As usual Aliyah was being very bossy even without much words. She kept pointing to her fingers and arms and making sounds and said "ira ira hey hey ira ira". She wanted the nurse to do the regular routine at the hospital to check her blood pressure and vital signs which she was getting ready to do but Aliyah wanted it to be done fast. The nurse seemed to be impressed with Aliyah and understood her pretty well. She said "ok ok we will check that in a sec ok" Aliyah with a smirk on her face made humming sounds (indicating she is happy that someone was listening to her and she was getting her way). Yeah she's the boss like that he he!!

The waiting time was making Aliyah anxious so they turned on the TV with cartoons. Aliyah didn't seem interested but as soon as they gave her some colors and coloring papers she was eager to get a hold of them. She kept looking at me with a smirk on her face and proceeded to use her crayon. I thought she was going to start coloring immediately but she kept looking switching her looks back and forth between me and the paper. I could tell she wanted me to see her. "Start coloring Aliyah all the pretty bears" I told her. she pointed to the line at the top of the paper where the name belongs "ira ira ira" "Yes Aliyah that's where you put you name" We had been working with her at home and in therapy getting her to write her name with the small dots. She was able to trace her name and any word but when it came down to writing on her own she was only able to write her first letter on her own without assistance.

As I was about to start writing her the dots for her to trace she pushed my hand away and that's where the miracle began. With such poise and certainty she started writing the letter A. I thought "well she always writes the letter A so its ok I will draw the circles for the rest of the letter" but then she started writing another letter and to my surprise it was the letter L. I just stood there gazing in amazement. My heart was pumping so fast I could hear it in the center of my ear drums and I could feel my ear was about to pop off. It wasn't that I couldn't believe she could do it its that I could not believe it was happening so fast. Her therapist had told me that she could already write her own name without assistance but I had not personally witnessed it until now.

She paused for a few seconds and turned to see if I was still looking then she continued with the third letter and so on until she wrote Aliy h. The overwhelming excitement that I was feeling was so great that it didn't matter if it wasn't perfect because this moment was perfect and in my eyes Aliyah couldn't be anything but a perfect angel from God. I looked at my dad to see if he had witnessed this miraculous moment. I had been frozen and focused in the moment that I blocked everything and everyone while it was developing. "Viste Apa Viste lo que iso Aliyah" my dad smiled "Si escribio su nombre". After the grand momentum I asked Aliyah to add the A that was missing from her name. I thought she would get upset like she normally does if she is told she didn't do something right but to my surprise she just smiled and wrote her letter A so now it spelled Aliyah.

Immediately I smothered her with mammy kisses and hugs and she gave me a high five after I asked her. I couldn't stop smiling and she couldn't stop smiling. The happiness I felt at that time surpassed any sadness that I felt the previous day and I could feel that Aliyah was happy that I saw her write her name. This moment was more than just writing her name. It represented hope, a voice for Aliyah. I could already see Aliyah writing and communicating with not only me but the world. Thoughts scattered my mind... what would she say? Will I finally get to know her thoughts? Will she stop hitting us for no reason and communicate why she is upset? Will she tell me I love you back? Will she be a writer one day or help other children with Autism? Whatever she decides to do with this new discovery it will open up a window of new possibilities and give others hope that miracles do happen in the most unexpected unparalled manner. Aliyah Va Hablar and everyone will listen up!!!

-Vane D. Lopez

HOW TO KNOW IF YOUR CHILD HAS AUTISM?

Autism is a developmental disorder in the brain that severely affects the social development of a child and there are a variety of different Autism disorders that vary from mild to severe.

Children with a more mild version are known to have Aspergers Syndrome. These children with Aspergers Syndrome are expected to be high functioning individuals with mild symptoms that affect their social development. Children with a more severe version of Autism suffer more extreme issues that include mental retardation, speech delay, inability to interact with other children or adults, and in some cases, some are completely nonverbal and are unable to express their needs.

Autism can be very stressful on families, but if these children get the right therapy in time and receive as much early intervention as possible, there is hope. The good thing is that Autism is not such a mystery anymore and there is more resources and information than there was years ago. You don't have to go through this alone and getting all the information you need for your child to succeed will help bring your family together so you can focus on the good things in life like giving your child all the love he/she deserves.


The causes of Autism are still unknown. Many theories have arisen in which it is believed that there is a link to vaccinations, or certain foods trigger symptoms, or even that it might be genetic. These theories however have not been proven. Autism is much more complicated and will require extensive research from scientist to determine the causes. The only thing that is known is that Autism is an imbalance in the brain in which certain brain cells are damaged which affect mainly communication and speech but it is not yet known why.

There is no known cure for Autism yet since scientists need to determine the causes before they can find a cure, but it is believed that with the help of Early Intervention and speech, occupational, and behavioral therapy after can give families hope and help the child be more independent as they mature into adults. It is important that Doctors, Parents, Family members, Specialists, Therapies, and Teachers work together to help the child succeed and provide for a better future. It takes a team of caring people to help children with Autism improve their quality of life.

"Treat people as if they were what they ought to be and you help them become what they are capable of becoming" -Goethe


SYMPTOMS OF AUTISM

* child does not take part in imaginative and social play
* child seems disinterested in other children and prefers to play by himself/herself
* child seems to develop normally and then regresses to an earlier stage and stops language completely. This can be a form of Autism which is called Ret Syndrome which is a genetic disorder.
* child has poor or no eye contact
* child has no regards to other people feelings or facial expressions.
* child shows repetitive behaviors or engages in self stimulation such as ringing hands or flapping arms.
* child does not like to be hugged and seems disconnected from the environment around him/her
* certain smells, light, or sound trigger screaming tantrums
* child engages in certain obsessive behaviors

"Autism affects 1 out of 110 children" -Autism Speaks


There are many more symptoms of Autism and if you have any concerns about your child's development, you should definitely discuss it with your child's doctor. A diagnoses is sometimes done by several specialists and not just one doctor since it is more complex than any other common disorder.

"We worry about what a child will become tomorrow, yet we forget that he is someone today" -Stacia Tauscher

RESOURCES:

Autism Speaks, Inc.
2 Park Avenue
11th Floor
New York, NY 10016
contactus@autismspeaks.org
http://www.autismspeaks.org
Tel: 212-252-8584 California: 310-230-3568
Fax: 212-252-8676

Association for Science in Autism Treatment
P.O. Box 188
Crosswicks, NJ 08515-0188
info@asatonline.org
http://www.asatonline.org

Autism Research Institute (ARI)
4182 Adams Avenue
San Diego, CA 92116
director@autism.com
http://www.autismresearchinstitute.com
Tel: 619-281-7165
Fax: 619-563-6840


MAAP Services for Autism, Asperger Syndrome, and PDD
P.O. Box 524
Crown Point, IN 46308
info@maapservices.org
http://www.maapservices.org
Tel: 219-662-1311
Fax: 219-662-0638

Dr. Wilson C. Sy. (neurologists) Mcallen, Tx.
(956) 631-2529

Stepping Stones Rehabilitation (therapy) Mission, Tx.
(956) 584-8980

Dr. Macias (genetics) Edinburg, Tx.

Dr. Mackie (ear specialist) Edinburg, Tx.

Dr. Amegin (eye specialists) Rio Grande City, Tx.

MHMR (agency that helps provide services to people with mental health issues) Rio Grande City, Tx.
(956) 487-3748