Autism Awareness Week 2015

This week is is World Autism Awareness Week, leading up to World Autism Awareness Day on Thursday 2nd April.

The focus of the week is to raise awareness about Autism, I guess the clue is in the name! It's all about getting people involved in activities that get people talking about Autism, and hopefully raising some much needed funds in the process.

The National Autistic Society are asking people to get involved and 'stand out for autism'. Their site has been a massive source of information for me over the last couple of years, from the early stages when we were first wondering if our son could be on the spectrum, right through to now. If you are beginning your autism journey it is a great place to start. They have a fantastic Youtube page with some very in depth talks from experts on topics such as behaviours, sleep, toileting and more, and it's well worth a look.

When I first started blogging I wanted to make ASD a big part of it. I found reading other blogs about ASD and special needs quite comforting, to read that other people were going through the same things as our family, and I wanted to be able to do that for others. Unfortunately, I haven't really written about autism nearly as much as I had originally planned but that is something I would like to change. I feel inspired, and have decided I'm going to start writing more regularly about Autism, and the struggles we face, and my son and all of his fantastic strengths. ASD is a big part of our family life, and so should be a big part of my blog too.

Now I would like to share with you some of my previous ASD related posts for those that you may have missed: (click the bold title to view the post)

Autism - Our Journey So Far - I share our early experiences and talk about what lead us to make that first step towards getting a diagnosis.

Anxious - I talk about the anxiety I felt in the few weeks before the big diagnosis appointment.

ASD Assessment & Diagnosis - An honest account of our experience on the day of the assessment, and what it meant for us.

The After Diagnosis Limbo - Unfortunately we didn't feel like we were given much help from the local authorities after receiving a diagnosis and felt like we were in limbo .

Problems With Change - Talking about some of the problems we face when there is a change in Neil's routine.

Time Train Visual Schedule - How we made a visual schedule to help Neil manage his day.

Chewigem Chewable Jewellery - A review of fantastic chewing jewellrey for children who like to chew.

Play Foam & Helping Hands - Having a little look at some products from Learning Resources to help children develop fine motor skills.

Hopefully my posts can be of some help to someone out there! If you would like to see more posts like that please get in touch, or let me know if there is anything you would like me to cover in one of my posts. To stay updated on all of my ASD related posts or if you just want to connect with me you can do so via my twitter or facebook.

Hopefully you have been inspired to get involved in this years Autism Awareness Week! If you would like to find out more or donate to the National Autistic Society you can do so here.