I recently participated in my first podcast interview! It took place on the last day of Autism Awareness Month with Kit Kennedy. Kit lives in Australia and has a podcast called, “Unchurchable.” Her podcast discusses issues that make church attendance hard for some people. My interview with Kit was focused on how churches can be more welcoming for persons with autism and their families. Accessibility at church is a global issue that many special needs...
As the new year begins, many of you will be taking some time to reflect on new year’s resolutions. While making my list, I realized that there are certain goals that I can make that would be very helpful to me as the mother of two sons with autism. Motherhood is a beautiful journey of love and adventure. It’s highs and lows, wonderful surprises and sometimes difficult challenges. My sons have autism, but that certainly...
My family participated in an airport tour for persons with autism! It took place at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on April 26, 2018. The tour was sponsored by Delta Airlines and was filmed by CNN staff to promote autism awareness month. It aired on Monday, April 30, 2018 during Michaela Pereira's HLN show. The airport tour was a wonderful opportunity for our boys! They had a chance to see what it is like to...
Words cannot express how I felt on that life-changing day. It was April 11, 2011, the day after my birthday. My mother-in-law sat on the couch with me as my son played with toys on the floor. My husband listened in via phone because he was on an extended deployment to the Middle East. Extreme anxiety set in as the psychologist shared with us why she thought our oldest son met the diagnostic criteria for...
Today marks the beginning of National Health Education Week! It occurs each year on the third week of October and is sponsored by the Society for Public Health Education. The goal of this event is to highlight the importance of health education and to recognize the work that health educators do on a daily basis to protect the nation's health. Each day has a designated theme and today's focus is on health disparities, which describes preventable differences...
Autism awareness is very important for our faith based communities. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that autism affects 1 out of every 68 children. With a rate that high, many churches are sure to encounter a family affected by autism and churches must be prepared. I didn't understand how difficult church could be for persons with autism until my son was diagnosed. I watched him struggle with social interactions and with abrupt changes in...
Did you know that April is National Autism Awareness Month? This annual observance was sponsored by the Autism Society almost 25 years ago to promote awareness, acceptance and inclusion for persons with autism. Since 2013, I've been sharing my family's story about autism and trying to make a difference within my own areas of influence. This year is no different. I'm looking for places of worship to partner with me for a very special autism awareness faith based initiative!...
Is flying an issue for your child with autism? Are you concerned about navigating through the airport and not having the help needed for a successful trip? If so, I have some wonderful information to share with you that may change the way that you and your family travel! My boys recently had the opportunity to participate in a program at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport called, "Navigating through the Airport." It was started by Delta Airlines employees,...
I recently had the privilege of attending the Coastal Disability Ministry Summit in Charleston, SC on September 23rd - 24th. It was sponsored by Joni and Friends Charlotte and the Lowcountry Special Needs Network. The event was held on the beautiful campus of Charleston Southern University. I was invited to attend this summit as a guest presenter with Mrs. Gale Dollar. Our break-out session, "Inclusive Disability Ministry," explained how the special needs ministry got started at...
Hello Everyone! I have some results that I would like to share with you from the 2016 Autism Awareness Month Faith Based Initiative. This was our first year for the initiative and I enjoyed every moment of it! Over 3000 persons from 16 churches received information about autism as a result of the initiative. A special thank you goes out to the following churches that completed the program: Antioch Freewill Baptist Church in Linden, NC Bethesda Church...
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