Autism Speaks Canada

This is a special post about John from his sister-in-law Ivy and friend Marty. This is our final post in our Be a Hero for Autism for Autism Awareness Month and the Toys “R” Us puzzle piece campaign.

Hero of the Week: John  

Autism was a word we had only heard mentioned on the news and in schools.  Like many, we didn’t know much about autism and how it affected a person and those important around them. It wasn’t until John told us that his son Brandon was diagnosed with autism that we began to understand the real meaning.  

John got involved with Autism Speaks Canada from the beginning of the Inaugural BC Walk in 2008.  As Co-Chair of the walk, he is hands on with everything from learning more about the cause, getting family, friends and strangers involved, building partnerships with donors, organizing the walk route, supporting fundraisers, to handing out hot chocolate to the walkers.  There is no task too small or too big for John, and he reminds us that the various struggles we face inside are often tackled by reaching beyond ourselves.  John has taught us that being a hero is in taking responsibility to create positive social change, while being a father that faces the challenges and triumphs of having a child with ASD.

John has attended many workshops and meetings on autism to share not only his story but his love for Brandon and his family and to let others know about the trials and victories that they live through each day.

One of the many events that John organized to raise funds for Autism Speaks Canada was the “Grind for Autism”; a hike up Vancouver’s Grouse Mountain, which, for anyone has ever done it, is not an easy hike.  After he made sure that everyone had their Grind for Autism shirt, thanked them for the support and told them to have a great hike  John, with his 3 year old son Brandon on his back, went up the mountain as well.

John has completed the New York Marathon as part of Team Autism Speaks.  He was also on a group that was invited to Washington D.C. to talk with members of Congress to push for more support with regards to research for a cure and the continued support for programs to help those with autism and their families. 

Often, we hear “what does your autism look like?”  For us, it looks like aunts, uncles, grandparents, sisters, brothers and friends hiking up the Grouse Grind to raise funds for education and research.  It is John running across the finish line at the New York Marathon for Autism Speaks with his cell phone in hand, so his family could hear  the spectators roar, not to be outdone by Brandon and his brother and sister cheering “go daddy! go daddy!”  It is a picture of John holding the Autism Speaks Canada banner at the top of Mount Rainier. 

John, if you asked him would never consider himself as a “Hero for Autism”. He would say he is someone who wants the best for his son and his family….In other words a Dad. John is our “hero for autism” because he has shown us how much is possible with hard work, conviction, and a father’s love.  On his fireplace mantle, amidst the family photos, sits a frame that says, “a man moves a mountain by first carrying small stones.”  John is moving this mountain, and has inspired those around him to do the same.

Meet Robyn, a girl with autism, and hero to her mom and grandfather.  Buy a puzzle piece at Toys “R”Us and you can “Be a Hero for Autism” and support Canadian families living with autism.

My Daughter Robyn: By Mom Michelle

The day I got the earth shattering news that one of my eighteen month old twin girls had severe autism, I remember saying “anything but that!”. I had worked with children with autism as a teenager and was filled with memories of sad and angry children that struggled with the world and families that were barely holding on by a thread. I didn’t want any of it for Robyn or the rest of my family.

I thought I would lose all the luxuries of being a parent. Hearing my child say I love you, watching my twins have that “special bond”, watching Robyn pursue her dreams. What I didn’t know back then was that my angel, Robyn would give me all that and more. She serves a greater purpose in this life and this is why she is my hero.

Robyn tells me everyday that she loves me, even though she has no words. She knows just how to communicate her truest feelings with her “jewelry box” eyes that pierce down to the soul. Robyn and her sister Emma have the best “twin” bond I have ever seen. Robyn is Emma’s biggest fan and vice versa. Emma will tell you that God sent them as a pair because he knew that Robyn would need her help. Robyn has given her sister the gift of sensitivity and understanding that most people don’t possess as adults. As for Robyn’s dreams, they will reveal themselves in time. I hope I understand them better as she gets older.

People always describe Robyn as an angel, and I believe she is. She reminds people to look at the world in detail. How the water sparkles in the sun, the way the leaves look on a breezy day, how fun a good tickle session can be. She carries a glow with her that lets people who see her know that autism doesn’t always have to look scary, it can have all the beauty and joy that they see in Robyn’s smile .I have witnessed a face full of judgment turn to a smile just from watching my daughter and that is why I know that she is a hero and an angel.

Why Robyn is a Hero: By Grandpa Ken

Robyn is a hero because of what she has accomplished in her short life. I watched helplessly as Robyn slipped deep into the world of autism. She was diagnosed as severely autistic and we wondered if we had completely lost her forever. Robyn had other ideas and she has fought hard to be as much like a typical child as she can using her twin sister as an example. She is extremely determined and never ceases to amaze us with her accomplishments.

When she was a toddler she did not seem to be aware of her surroundings and was uninterested in social interactions. Now she notices things like planes, what other children are doing, the environment, Christmas and Birthday activities. You can see that she wants to do what other children are doing. She is so determined to be like her sister. She will try to do tricks on the trampoline. Last summer she decided to jump off the high diving board because the other children were doing it. This Spring she decided she wanted to go down a fireman’s pole at the playground because she saw her sister do it. Her determination is amazing. When she decides to do something there’s no stopping her.

Robyn has learned to skate, to downhill ski, climb trees and swim – things we never thought possible. She watched her sister do theatre and now Robyn, herself, has been in two theatre productions. Robyn has worked hard to communicate and has gained back some words on her own. She enjoys doing ‘girl’ things like shopping, listening to music and dancing. As I said before, she never ceases to amaze us.

Robyn is also inspiring. She is a beautiful, loving little girl who makes anyone who comes in contact with her fall in love with her. She has introduced many people, both adults and children, to the world of autism and has taught them to accept others rather than judge or fear.

She has inspired me to make more people aware of what the word autism means and how it affects people differently. How it affects the entire family including siblings. She has inspired us to get involved and raise money for research and other programs that benefit these children. She was the inspiration behind her grandmother writing a cook book. Her songwriter uncle helped write a song called “Change the World” and said he often thought of Robyn as the song was being written.

Because of Robyn we have taken part in the Toronto Walk Now for Autism Speaks every year since the beginning.  She has enriched our lives and she teaches us all the time that anything is possible when you have determination. We know there is more in her future and we will be there to help her.

This is a post from one mom about her hero, Evan. Buy a puzzle piece at Toys “R”Us and you can “Be a Hero for Autism” and support Canadian families living with autism.

Evan is an 11 year old boy with Autism from Edmonton, AB who lives life to its fullest!

When I look up “HERO” in the dictionary, it reads; A person of distinguished courage or ability, admired for their brave deeds and noble qualities.

In Evan’s short 11 years of life, he has displayed and exemplified the utmost courage and ability in the simple tasks he takes on day to day.

His abilities outshine his disability and the courage to never give up and move forward to a new day make me honoured and privileged to be his mom!

Evan has taught me courage and strength, to never give up because giving up has never been an option for him.

He shares with this world the grandest heart, loads of compassion, joy and unconditional love. Every single day his inner strength and determination is a true testament of who he is. Evan knows no difference of who he is and loves himself for who he was created to be.

Every event in our lives which we encounter is absolutely presented to us for a reason, even if it defies our understanding and ego. Evan lives his best life every single day! He could simply chose to be a victim of his disability but rather shines above the obstacles he is faced with through great courage and determination to allow his gifts to all of us shine.

He makes me laugh everyday with his infectious sense of humour!

Although life can be a struggle for him everyday, he is able to find a little bit of good in each day and every person he encounters. No judgement, no conditions, simply good!

If you have the pleasure of meeting Evan, he will make it clear from the beginning that you are his friend. Not through a “hi” or a hand shake but a huge hug that will help you through the remainder of your day!

I truly feel blessed and enriched to be given the gift of having a child with autism. He has taught me patience, kindness, understanding and true unconditional love.

I Love you Evan…………….No matter what!!!

Mommy   xoxo

John Elder Robison is an adult with Asperger syndrome, an author and board member of Autism Speaks. Be Different, John’s second book which was recently published, dives deeply into the experience of life on the autism spectrum. In this special post, John writes an intriguing essay which explores not only the idea of autistic self-advocacy, but the breadth and depth of what it means to be autistic. 

Self Advocacy

What, exactly, is self-advocacy and what is its place in the autism community?

Autism is a communication disorder, with a broad range of affect. Some people’s autism makes them eccentric and geeky. Other people can’t speak at all, as a result of more severe autistic disability.

Therefore, in the world of autism, some of the population is capable of what some call self-advocacy while another part is not. It should come as no surprise that those groups would have very different wants and needs. That disunity of need and purpose is a fundamental issue we must address.

At its heart, self-advocacy is nothing more than speaking up to get what you want. Everyone who communicates does this, all the time. We self-advocate when we ask for different courses in college. We self advocate when we ask for a chair with a lumbar support at work. Can you recall the last time someone looked at you and said, Speak up! That’s a request for self-advocacy. Learning to communicate effectively enough to get your needs met is an essential part of growing up and making one’s way in the world.

If you’re autistic, your needs are mostly the same as anyone else (food, shelter, security) but you may have some unique twists. For example, you may have allergies, or be sensitive to the flicker of fluorescent lights, or be unable to wear wool clothes because the feel of the fibers drives you crazy.

You may believe your own communication problems will be reduced if the people around you are willing to change their style of engagement to accommodate you, or you may ask that they excuse some of your expressions, which might otherwise be offensive or unacceptable.

Those are all examples of what we call self-advocacy, because the speaker is asking for what he thinks he needs to be successful. I don’t have any issue with anyone who does that. Everyone should seek what they need.

We all engage in this behaviour. Knowing that, I’m not sure why it’s singled out in autistic people by using the term self-advocacy. That makes an ordinary behaviour sound like something unique to certain autistic folks when in fact it’s what anyone who wants to get ahead does. Speaking up to get your needs met is a more accurate and less clinical term for 99% of what we call self-advocacy.

I believe we unwittingly do our more disabled autistic population a disservice by aggrandizing this behaviour by calling it self-advocacy. The clinical term makes it sound like something unique, which it isn’t. Non-autistic people see the accommodations the autistic self-advocates ask for, and jump to the conclusion that those accommodations must be typical of what’s needed for all autistic people.

Unfortunately, nothing could be farther from the truth.

When a teenager with Asperger’s says, “I don’t want to be changed. I want people to accept me as I am,” he is expressing a sentiment shared by every other human. The difference is, the teen with Asperger’s may have Asperger-driven behavioural issues which make that dream much harder for him to attain.

When that same person says, “I want help learning to get along with people,” the lay person hears that and thinks that’s what all autistic people need – help making friends. If only it were that easy.

To make a broad generalization, one might say the articulate and verbal autistic population wants help with social problems, finding and keeping jobs, and support fitting into the community. The non-verbal or partly verbal autistic population is in a very different fix. None of the aforementioned accommodations are of much value at all to them. They need help mastering the basic skills of life and therapy to help them communicate on a much more fundamental level. Many people with more severe autism also have other significant medical challenges. Their needs are totally different.

Yet they cannot self-advocate. Their communication challenges are too big. At the same time, the public is constantly hearing from a verbal autistic population whose wants and needs are totally different, and they are increasingly strident in their demands.

So what should we do? I would never suggest a verbal autistic person keep quiet simply because his needs differ from another autistic person who can’t talk at all. Yet I recognize the problems that speaking out may cause for another part of our community.

I have been guilty of this myself. In my earlier writing, I’ve said, “I don’t need a cure. I just need understanding.” I still believe that’s true for me, but I now recognize the tremendous breadth of the autism spectrum. As a result, I am now sensitive to and accepting of the views of others who do want to be “cured,” however that may be defined. My views about the “cure” may differ from yours but I recognize, accept and respect differing points of view, as long as they are not harmful or destructive to others.

As a community, I think we owe it to our less vocal members to make the lay public aware of the breadth and depth of our needs. There is a huge difference between a job skills coaching group and an ABA behaviour program, but both are vital to their respective constituencies. When we speak to audiences, whether in person or through the media, we should be particularly sensitive to this issue.

Purchase John’s new book, Be Different, at indigo.ca.

This is a post from parents on raising a child with Autism, on why raising awareness and acceptance for autism is challenging and important and why their son is their hero.

Autism is third alphabetically on Wikipedia’s list of childhood diseases and disorders. If I’m being honest with myself, I must admit that I am not aware of Diphtheria, Meningitis, or Rubella. The truth is that among the forty-five childhood diseases and disorders there are only a handful that I would recognize from their symptoms. As a parent, I understand the fact that a majority of the public will learn about Autism only after they are directly affected by it within their own lives, while those who have never been affected by it will not. Autism is a pervasive developmental disorder that affects how a person interacts with their world. Our son, Bryce, was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) just before his third birthday. At the time we knew very little about Autism and to support his development we attended training programs and researched treatment options, becoming more aware every day.

So why is it challenging to raise awareness and acceptance?

Before you understand how we raise Autism awareness and acceptance, start by educating yourself on two prevalent symptoms of Autism. First, Bryce, like many other children with Autism, develops different socially than a neurotypical child. He often has a difficult time interacting constructively, initiating play, and making eye contact and as a result of his frustration, act out upon it. To other parents this behavior can seem awkward and challenging in normal social situations for children, such as birthday parties. It is important to be aware and accept that many children with Autism struggle to develop inter-relationships the same way as neurotypical children. This does not mean that they should be excluded from participation, it simply means that by supporting and facilitating appropriate play between children with Autism and neurotypical children, that they can grow together, develop lasting friendships, and happiness throughout life. Bryce, like many other children with Autism, displays this symptom as loud behavior or tantrums, and is quickly mistaken as a lack of discipline or being rude; ignorance is Autism’s worst enemy. These are not bad or disobedient children; they are children who face challenges every day of their lives with managing sensory issues and need support, not cynicism!

Second, Bryce, like many other children with Autism, struggles with communication, and has been delayed his entire life. This can compound frustration when asking why they are behaving atypically, as they will often ignore you or are unable to communicate the discomfort or conditions that are causing them to respond “inappropriately”. Autism is challenging to raise awareness and acceptance for this very reason; symptoms are often initially reacted toward as a parenting problem, a discipline problem, or a rude and disobedient child. Society must be accepting and compassionate about our children, they must support them. When a child is impacted by cancer, an incredibly heart-breaking disease, they are able to explain the pain, the sickness, and the suffering, and as we should, we develop compassion and understanding and accept and feel inspired by the incredible struggles and challenges they face, and we are saddened. When a child impacted by Autism is unable to explain the pain, the sickness, and the suffering, should we not also be able to develop compassion and understanding and accept and feel inspired by their incredible struggles too?

In March 2010, we created our blog site BubblesMakeHimSmile.com to raise awareness and acceptance for children with Autism, and to raise funds through our Bubbles Make Him Smile Therapy Fund to provide our son, Bryce, with Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT). Even though the idea behind the blog originally started out of a need to raise funds for this costly therapy, the website has since blossomed into an online tool for anyone interested in learning about Autism, treatments, programs and training, as well as providing an insight into the lives and experiences as people who love someone with Autism.

Every day we are inspired by our son and how he teaches people to value him, his talents, his weaknesses, his strengths, and to appreciate the contributions that he can, and will make, to this world. Be a hero for Autism, all that we ask in return is your acceptance.

As the Canadian walk season starts we will share stories from our walkers. Why do you walk? Share your story with us at canadaeditor@autismspeaks.org

My name is Angie.  I work for the Toronto District School board and for the past 9 years, I have been working at Lucy McCormick.   Lucy McCormick was established to provide an educational program for secondary age students with developmental handicaps.  Our students range from ages 11 to 21.  When I first started here 9 years ago, I was naive and young.  I studied Autism in school, but the course never went into detail or discussion about the subject. 

As a Child and Youth Worker at Lucy McCormick I have had the privilege to work with some of the most intriguing, bright young students with autism.  Every day is a learning experience at work.  My work consists of life skills, social skills, and behaviour management one to one with a student.  There are days that can be exhausting and challenging, and those are the days that have taught me the meaning of being patient, understanding and having empathy for a human being.  Most days are filled with laughter and amazement at how much I learn from my students.  People always ask me “when are you going to move on to another school?”  My response is always the same “why fix something that’s not broken”.  I have come to realise that I love my job and love working with my students. 

My teams name is TEAM AUTISM: MISSION POSSIBLE.  Some of our fundraising efforts include, specialty lunches at work for staff (Taste of Greece, Taste of Portugal etc…), Pub nights, Girls night, BBQ at Sobeys, Dinner/ Dance Gala, Silent Auctions, Cookbooks, and many more.  I fundraise and walk for the students at Lucy McCormick, my client that I have been working with for the past 10 years and my cousin John.  Without fundraising, we cannot give our students or loved ones the best possible solution, which is early intervention and early diagnoses.  I’m here to make a difference, what about you?

This is a special post by Julie, mother of a boy with autism. In February, Julie and her husband launched a website, Learning to Have Hope, to help parents with autisic children in the London area connect with one another.

My personal philosophy on autism is that it is a lot like having diabetes, it is something that you live with, there isn’t a time that you weren’t diabetic but it is manageable and you can sometimes even live without symptoms. Autism is similar; there are some kids that will do excellent with treatment and others that may always appear autistic.

For my son, so far he is in the severe part of the spectrum (that is what his assessment told us), when we found out, he was non-verbal, rarely if ever made eye contact, ignored us when we asked something, and he would yell a lot in frustration. Now after 2 1/2 years, we have tried a casein (dairy) free diet, speech therapy, part time daycare, occupational therapy, behavioral therapy and has been in an IBI program for a year; he is now verbal, able to share his wants and needs and has even become conversational. He participates in classroom style therapy twice a week, which includes following directions, and even plays with other kids sometimes, mostly side-by-side play. This year he has learned to dress and feed himself and be independent on the potty, all things that a year ago did not seem possible in this short of time. I know that I am lucky with how much progress he has made in such a short time as not all kids do.

Here’s how our autism journey started; In January 2008 my family took our first real over night vacation, my husband, our 19-month-old son and myself set out to go to Niagara Falls. We had planned to do all the family fun stuff, go to Rainforest cafe to eat, the Butterfly conservatory, and Bird Kingdom. We did do all these things and had a very good time, the part of the trip that sparked this little thought, this little worry was our little boy decided that running back and forth along the edge of the bed in the hotel was the source of 30 minutes of fun. Now just running back and forth in a cooped up hotel doesn’t seem like such a bad thing. But with his face an inch away from the bed, and us having a hard time distracting him from it, we looked at each other and thought that was kinda weird.

Neither of us really discussed it or said anything about it, but secretly we were both wondering what it was. We also noticed that he wasn’t talking. He had had a normal amount of words for a child his age, then around Christmas he got quiet. We were unsure of what was going on and thought maybe it was just a phase he would grow out of.

About a month later my husband said something to me about autism, and I very confidently reassured him that nothing was wrong. Inside my fear grew; I didn’t want HIM to worry. I did know a little bit about autism; I have an aunt that worked with an autistic child, so I had seen some things, but nothing that our son was doing. But could it be…

In May this aunt came with her family for a visit. So I nonchalantly asked her to reassure my husband that he was fine. After spending the day together she said, “get him into daycare, he might just need to be around more kids”. A warm August day brought my aunt and her family for another visit; we had a great time and shared lots of laughs.

The next day the phone rang it was my aunt. I can’t recall now if she was upset, but she told me that she had some concerns about our son and to get him to a pediatrician. A million things shot through my mind and fear gripped my heart, and I had to ask; what do you think it is? She really didn’t want to tell me what she thought (cause what if she was wrong) but she did say that it might be autism or PDD. I broke down and cried, and of course she felt horrible to tell me. But that was the BEST thing a person could have ever told me. I am grateful everyday that she was strong enough to tell me her thoughts. Really she was just confirming what we have suspected, and 5 minutes later I called her back and said. OK what do I do next!

The most important thing that I have learned through this experience is that; you will never know if you don’t ask, no one can fix it for you; you have to try what you think is best, and that you are your child’s voice and you know best for your child. There are many great services out there to help you with dealing with the diagnosis, whether it is in a support group, service coordinators, and most importantly other parents. I have found much comfort in talking to other parents and reading books about other families and their stories with autism. It is so important to know that you are not alone in this world.

This is a guest post from Jeannine, mother to 4 children, 2 typical daughters and 2 boys with autism. To support Autism Awareness Month and the Toys”R”Us Be a Hero for Autism Speaks Canada campaign we will share stories from moms and dads across the country in April about their heroes. 

Shaelynne is the oldest in our family of four.  We have 2 typical daughters and 2 boys with autism.  We are blessed to have them all.  Shaelynne is a busy grade 9 student who enjoys dancing, music and her brothers.  She started fundraising for Autism Speaks 4 years ago.  She is passionate about the struggles families like ours have every day.  She loves her brothers and wants to help support other families that have children with autism.  She has learned about autism and how to help her brothers at home and in the community.  She enjoys taking Griffin for a walk in the neighbourhood and going to Emerson’s soccer games.  Last year her goal was to raise $1,000 for Autism Speaks Canada and to do so, she organized a community garage sale, asking for donations and the entire monies raised would go to Autism Speaks Canada.  She surpassed her goal and raised over $2,000 dollars.  This year she is organizing a garage sale to hopefully raise $3,000.  She is a loving and inspirational teen who wants only the best for her brothers and her family as we live with autism.

Read what Shaelynne and her family have been up to this year and support support their walk team: The Bush Bunch.

WHY DO TOYS“R”US AND BABIES“R” US SUPPORT AUTISM SPEAKS CANADA

WHAT IS THE FOCUS OF “R” CHARITY WORK?

As the leading toy and baby retailers in Canada, we are committed to giving back to our communities.  Children are central to who we are and what we do, so it will come as no surprise that kids are the focus of our charity work. 

We focus our efforts on helping children when they need us most, supporting children with special needs, keeping kids safe, and offering support to seriously ill or disabled children and their families.

PARTNERSHIP WITH AUTISM SPEAKS CANADA

In February 2010, Toys“R”Us Canada became a National sponsor of Autism Speaks Canada.  Our relationship with Autism Speaks Canada represents our largest partnership with a special needs organization.

• Each year we run a support campaign where we sell Autism Speaks Canada puzzle pieces in our Stores and online. 
• We are a National sponsor for the Walk Now for Autism Speaks program. 
• We provide French translation services to Autism Speaks Canada. 
• Our President, Kevin Macnab, is a member of the Autism Speaks Canada Board of Directors.



“BE A HERO FOR AUTISM” IN-STORE CAMPAIGN

From February 22^nd to April 30^th, 2011, Toys“R”Us will proudly be selling Autism Speaks Canada puzzle pieces in our Stores and online.  We encourage all Employees and Customers to support Autism Speaks Canada.

WALK NOW FOR AUTISM SPEAKS

Toys“R”Us is a proud National Sponsor of the Canadian Walk Now for Autism Speaks. 

Toys“R”Us teams will be walking in the following events to raise awareness and funds to support Autism Speaks Canada. 

• Canadian Walk events begin in June and run through September.
• Toys“R”Us and Babies“R”Us Employees participate in these events by forming Walk teams in their local communities, hosting interactive tented areas that feature the “Ten Toys That Speak To Autism” and raising even more funds for Autism Speaks Canada.
• Toys“R”Us mascot Geoffrey the Giraffe makes special appearances at all Walks, encouraging participants to help solve the autism puzzle.

Be sure to visit your local Toys “R” Us, Babies “R” Us to buy a puzzle piece and support Autism Speaks Canada.

This is a guest post from Shane, a Canadian dad of a son with autism, and an employee of Toys”R”Us. To support Autism Awareness Month and the Toys”R”Us Be a Hero for Autism Speaks Canada campaign we will share stories from moms and dads across the country in April. 

“Be a hero for Autism”; what a great Slogan for this year’s drive for Autism Speaks! Children and adults with Autism are true hero’s simply because they are living with the challenges of Autism every day.

When my son was first diagnosed with Autism I can remember being really worried about his stimming. The term stimming is short for self-stimulatory behavior, sometimes called “stereotypical” behavior. In a person with autism, stimming usually refers to specific behaviors such as flapping, rocking, spinning, or repeating of words and phrases. People with Autism may stim to help themselves handle overwhelming sensory input such as too much noise, light heat etc.

Overwhelming sensory input was once described to me by an expert in the field as the following: A normal person has filters in their brain, for example, while you are reading these words there may be many things happening around you like a radio in the back ground, a plane flying overhead or something as simple as a ceiling fan. Your brain filters these distractions out and allows you to focus on one task ~ reading this letter. Imagine if you didn’t have brain filters and everything was coming at you at once? This would be bad enough in the comfort of your own home where you can control the environment. Imagine going to school, the store, or worse the places that are chaotic to people with brain filters like a children’s birthday party, the carnival or an airport; So many loud noises, people talking, lights flashing all coming at you at once and no way of turning it off.

Every morning Addison gets up excited about the day. He is honest, pure hearted and loving toward everyone around him. He deals with the challenges of Overwhelming Sensory Input every second of every day. This challenge is invisible to us, he cannot explain what he is experiencing nor does he realize how much more difficult his life is because of it, yet he is the happiest most positive kid I have every known – my Hero!