healthykids
Fresh Looks at Autism Focusing on a Child’s Optimal Potential
by Linda Sechrist
to inform parents about numerous issues regarding ASD. “Because I live in a town that didn’t
have an existing support group for parents with ASD children, I took it upon myself to get the ball rolling and advise parents that they need to build a dream team—doctors, therapists, special needs teachers, spiritual community, friends and family—that will make sure their child succeeds and lives a happy and successful life,” says Vedrode. Wanting to help both their
own two sons with developmental A
new paradigm shift regarding autism spectrum disorder (ASD) centers on
evolving beliefs about the possibilities for those living with autism, as well as the unimagined brilliance they possess and their need for supportive help. Everyone can benefit from the results
of hands-on research and experience by parents and caregivers that are finding nontraditional ways to help special needs children deal with issues related to emotional and cognitive detachment and isolation. Momentum for this major shift in perspective is fueled by young adults that are telling their encouraging stories online and in books such as Carly Fleishman’s Carly’s Voice. Parents of the one in 45 children diagnosed with ASD know that their
48 NA Triangle
www.natriangle.com
lifetime commitment requires extraordinary
courage, perseverance,
patience, determination, emotional strength, outside-the-box thinking and unconditional love. These parental char- acteristics are most cited by those that have mastered related developmental disorders, which they now regard as gifts, because they are thriving. Dr. Andrea Libutti, author of Awak-
ened by Autism: Embracing Autism, Self, and Hope for a New World, offers her insights for understanding the multifac- eted nature of autism and the need for a personalized plan for healing. Janice Vedrode, a special needs coach, con- sultant and child advocate in Saginaw, Michigan, founded Spectrum Speaks and writes at
JaniceVedrode.com/blog
disabilities and others, Boaz and Minerva Santiago, residents of Pem- broke Pines, Florida, became early trailblazers ushering in the self-em- ployment movement for special needs individuals. Their Picasso Einstein online educational platform at
SelfEmploy.org has launched the #JobCreators Bootcamp Training for parents and professionals and the #JobCreators Integration Program that collaborates with organizations, financial institutions and government agencies. “If you focus on pursuing a
business for your child for the sake of their independence, you won’t get caught up in only the business and money aspects. Self-employment allows even greatly impaired individuals the maximum opportunity to expe- rience independence, not just in the present, but for the rest of their lives,” explains Boaz. He cites an example of a young
boy with an avid interest in folding clothing. His parents learned how to create a meaningful job for him by creating a simple small laundry business from the family garage. Although at the beginning he was only asked to fold clothing (which he already expressed interest in),
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