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Autism

I need to clarify something since people tend to be misinformed. Anyone that has read my stories has read about characters with autism. Anyone that follows me knows that I have two children with Autism. My stepson has Asperger, which a doctor diagnosed him with when he was a kid. A psychologist diagnosed my daughter with ASD when she was three. They are two different kinds of Autism since the spectrum is broad.

Since my daughter's diagnosis, I have sat through countless IEP meetings, met with several caseworkers, teachers who specialize in Autism, and a home meeting with a psychologist. Yes, I'm well versed in Autism because of having children with it.

There are also high functioning and low functioning autism. That's how it's classified. High functioning means they are verbal, can live a normal life, and have a family. Low functioning, they tend to be non-verbal, need additional help, and will need a caregiver. Yes, I'm a caregiver because I take care of my daughter and make sure a structure is implemented with her.

People tend to be misinformed because of what they see in movies or tv or because they have autism and think things are done a certain way. I will correct that and say that every person with autism has a different degree and falls somewhere on the spectrum hence why it's broad. When you meet one person with autism, you meet one person. Just like people are unique, so are people with autism.

Now while my daughter and stepson have autism, it's a part of them. It doesn't define them.

Yes, autism is classified as a disability and falls under Michigan's disability act of 1990. Don't believe me, look it up.

Now an IEP is an individual educational plan. Specific goals are designed for people with autism to meet during school. It's what is expected for the child to meet at some point. And they're a pain in the ass to sit through because it's a lot of information thrown at you in an hour or two depending on which evaluation you're having. There's yearly and three years and deciding whether more testing is needed. A legal guardian must sign off on the IEP.

Now, I have four characters that a form of autism. Carter, Rain, Marco, and Paul. Paul has Asperger and Carter, Rain, and Marco have ASD. Yes, they're high functioning which is the proper terminology. They're also individual characters with different traits like real people.

So, the next time, someone wants to question the information, I would suggest talking to me. Because I'm writing from my personal experience with my children and not from experience with other children since two children with autism are not the same.