My Brother Patrick – Autism Awareness Month

Pat & Nat

What is Autism? 

Autism is an everyday part of my life. Autism is a neurological disorder that disrupts the development of communicative, social, and cognitive skills. Neurological disorders affect someone’s brain, they are invisible. You cannot look at someone and tell they are an individual with Autism, which is both a good and bad thing. People with Autism find it difficult to form relationships such as making friends because they have a tough time interacting reciprocally with others. Communicative delays are exemplified by a delay or even a complete lack of language. In the case of people with verbal ability, they are often unable to start or maintain a conversation with someone; their speech is characterized by something called echolalia when they will repeat a phrase over… and over…and over. Individuals with Autism usually are extremely talented in activities such as music or memorization. Kids with Autism sometimes flap their hands or rock their bodies making potential friends uncomfortable.

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Best Buddies – Truly Rewarding on so Many Levels

Sometimes you participate in a group or an event because you “have to,” but then there are those rare times that you participate in something because you really want to – for me this can easily be said about my experience with Best Buddies. This sentiment is equally shared by my wife Julia and my boys, Nick and Anthony.