Autism Information: Autism Awareness Day in Mississippi

I’m a Christian first.  Wife and mom second. Autism Activist probably comes in fourth or fifth.  If you ask my boys, there are days that Autism takes over my life.  One of those days will be this Wednesday, January 21st.  It is Autism Awareness Day in Mississippi. It is the day that all of us Autism Activists from all over the state of Mississippi will descend like vultures and pick apart the state legislators who dare cut funding for our kids!  And thank those legislators who have the guts to sponsor bills on our behalf.  It is time to get autism information out to those who need it!

This seems to be era for pandering for money and flying in on private jets, asking for bailouts.  That’s not my thing.  We moms (and dads too!)  are taking a day off from work and driving in to Jackson, Mississippi to speak to our state legislators.  There are many bills in committee now.  Some that will affect the special needs community as a whole.  Some, just our Autism community.  But, we’ll drive and speak anyway.

The big bills before committee are insurance for our children (which includes certain health insurance policies provide for the treatment of mental illness) with a full benefit of $50, 000.  A vaccine waiver.  An income tax credit to families of special needs. Allowing trained support dogs to have public access with their handlers.  An act providing for full inclusion for children with disabilities for academic and extracurricular activities.  And these are just a few that are under consideration this year for our Autism population.

I have made many friends through this journey and I haven’t even met them face to face!  There are so many unsung heroes who I will finally have the opportunity to meet face to face.  I cannot wait for that!  The people who live in Jackson.  Who show up and strong arm the legislators.  I can’t wait to shake their hands and hug their necks.  And then there are the people I work with locally.  Here in my backyard that I couldn’t do without.  My volunteers, who give up their Saturdays, their Thursday nights, and their summers so that our children have a better life.  They don’t have huge bank accounts.  What they do have is a huge heart.  And they give. They give of themselves.  Their time.  Their family.  Their love.  These people have made Autism Awareness Day in Mississippi happen!

So Wednesday, as we make the 3 and a half hour drive to Jackson, we will have many things on our minds.  What bills to lobby for.  How far to push.  Meeting new people.  Autism information.  And the faces of the families and children that I am lobbying for.  The children who come to our Art for Autism classes.  Our Move for Autism Soccer program.  Our parent workshop.  Everything that we do on Wednesday will affect them.  Please pray for us.  Please pray for our families.  We could use a little divine intervention.  These “angels”  need our strength.

Tags: autisminformation, autism education, autism therapy