Today is a special blog hop day! April is Autism Awareness month!
I’m honored to be participating in this blog hop with fellow stampers across the country that have agreed to help support Autism Awareness. I am also proud to be an Autism Mom! My son, Luke, has Autism and is simply the most amazing boy I know!
Each of us will be sharing a fact about Autism with you so as you hop from blog to blog, we hope you enjoy all the projects as well as learn a little about Autism too!
In the United States, one in 98 boys are diagnosed with autism, and 24,000 people are diagnosed with autism for the first time every year.
Bella & Friends is one of my favorite Stampin' Up! stamp sets and the Turtle made me think of the puzzle piece. I used the Masking Technique for the sun behind the Bella and Turtle, and markers for coloring. And I added hand-written personal messages xoxoxo Enjoy xoxoxoxo
~~~ My little love LUKE PORTO ~~~
I'm so very proud of Luke and all he has accomplished. He amazes me EVERY DAY with something he may say or do for the first time, with what he's learned - today telling me about Van Gogh or what a proper noun is! One day while waiting for the bus, I saw his hand moving up and down and I thought he was stimming, but when listening to what he was actually saying and watching more closely...he was signing the entire alphabet while phonetically sounding out each letter by name. It was just one of those magical moments I get to experience often.Luke is amazing! His smile is beautiful. His laugh, contagious. His touch, gentle. His heart, golden. My son can melt you within seconds with just a look, a laugh, a hug or the softness of his voice. He is affectionate and polite. And that's not even mentioning how brilliant he is!! Academically he rocks!!! We are working hard on his socialization.
From the beginning...Luke had a 50-50 chance after birth....his digestive system was severely malformed (the large intestine a round mass instead of tube-like and was not connected to the small intestine) and the small intestines were twisted. He's resilient and brave. From the start he showed the world just how strong he is!
He couldn't speak, but that didn't mean he couldn't hear. He was always listening! Going into Keller School at 3 years old, he was non-verbal, couldn't write, had very poor trunk and overall strength, and had severe motor planning issues. Today, at 7, Luke now reads aloud, sings, runs, dances, and plays on the playground. He is determined and knows what he wants. He CAN do it!
Autism is a developmental disorder. People with Autism learn differently using various teaching styles and methods. Luke excelled with ABA therapy. I thank God every day for all the teachers and therapists in Luke's life and who have stood by him every step of the way. I will always remember you.... Talia, Lori, Chrissy, Beth, Elizabth, Katie, Jessica, and the many aides, the physical, OT and speech therapists. It is your love, patience, kindness, determination that helps Autism (and special needs) families like ours. Thank you :D
And thank all of you for taking a moment to learn about my little love Luke, and for all your support.
~~~ Autism Matters. Autism Speaks. We are Autism Strong. ~~~
To learn more about my little love Luke, enjoy and join in on our experiences (The ABC's of Autism), click here. Please consider donating through my Autism Speaks page to help raise funds to continue research and for services to assist families. Every dollar matters xoxoxox
Let's keep this going....
1- Kimberly Van Diepen
2- Kylie Bertucci
3- Lee Conrey
4- Rachel Bronson Yukanin
5- Heather Wright Porto --- You are here!
6- Susan Best
7- Louise Sharp
8- Candy Rattray
9- Maureen Rauchfuss
10- Tammy Fite
11- Billie Moan
12- Monika Davis
