Good evening, Netizens...

Today is Good Friday, a religious date two days before Easter. It is also Autism Awareness Day, a holiday established by the United Nations on April 2, 2007 to “to highlight the need to help improve the lives of children and adults who suffer from the disorder so they can lead full and meaningful lives."

http://www.un.org/en/events/autismday/

I first became involved in Autism issues when a friend's daughter, affectionately named Aiee (pronounced A-E) was diagnosed as being autistic at age 3, and immediately the all-powerful State of Kentucky began insisting that her autism, an inability to communicate, was caused by what they termed “poor mothering”. In the next two years and change, the State of Kentucky filed formal child abuse charges against Aiee's mother and her step-father. They simply were fabrication; I knew both parents well, and if there had been any abusive situations taking place, it was the State of Kentucky's abuse of their parental rights.

In a macabre twist, eventually Aiee was smuggled out of the state and moved to another less-restrictive state. By age 12 Aiee no longer exhibited any of the strange, almost other-worldly symptoms of autism she had shown, and was well enough to re-enter the public school system. To this day, no logical explanation has ever been given to either of her parents for Aiee's improvement. For what it is worth, Aiee is now studying at the college level, and has been termed a “gifted” child.

I recently read about this man's research into the causes of autism, and saw to it that Aiee's parents were put in touch with him.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOEXldRNxcA

Although my time with Aiee was quite limited, and so long ago, still autism sits in the corner of my mind, gnawing at me, and occasionally I remember Good Friday is also Autism Awareness Day and I continue to follow new developments in understanding it better.

Have you ever known/loved an autistic child before?

Dave

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