Yep, we've got on our blue light for the front porch. I feel it's not so much that people aren't aware that autism exists, but are unaware of what it truly is. This is not classic retardation in the literal sense. It's not Down's Syndrome. It's not any kind of palsy. It's not any of those things. Deep within, people with autism are likely no different than anyone else. The difference comes when you talk about that bridge between the outside world and the person inside. That bridge is our senses, and it's not always constructed in a straight line from A to B. For someone with autism, think of that bridge as a winding path which changes direction suddenly in the middle of a curve, whipping the passengers left to right. It's jarring, it can be scary, and it can just be too much at times. When my 3yr old son gets overwhelmed by his senses, he covers his ears and hums repetitively to himself. That's his method of regulating the sensory overload.

And it's not the same for everyone. There's a saying that goes, "If you've met one person with Autism, you've met one person with Autism." My son's case seems rather mild when compared to some who not only have trouble with sensory input, but also bodily control. Some rock back and forth, some do nothing but hum, chirp, or scream, and even some will harm themselves in an attempt to regulate their overworked senses by hitting themselves in the face or head, or even repetitively hit their head against a hard surface. We're fortunate enough that our son doesn't go to those extremes, and he's probably one of the sweetest little boys you'll ever meet, but we've still got a long row to hoe. At nearly 4 years of age, he's still mostly non-verbal, although he's made large strides in recent weeks/months.