Free Autism Family Support Services Booklet

Hello all: I'd like to elicit some help from my wonderful friends, families and readers. I'm calling out especially to those families who are beyond the first year after the autism diagnosis.

From Monday June 15 through Sunday, July 12 I'm offering free copies of Same Child, Different Day: One Family's experiences during the first year after a child's autism diagnosis. In return, I'd like your sincere evaluation of this autism booklet and your suggestions as to where it can be changed or improved. I'd like your supportive comments on how I can improve or grow the booklet. Over the past 10 months I've gotten some great feedback from families seeking autism support services, and I could use more.

I'm a glutton for constructive criticism, and would appreciate your honest, thoughtful, supportive input. In the end, I'll be able to decide what direction to take the third printing of the manual.

So for the next month, if you'd like to order single copies of Same Child, Different Day, please send an email to: jongilbert@rocketmail.com, and be sure to include all your contact information. Again, this is one copy of this autism booklet per household, and understand that I'll be nagging you for your feedback. Please keep in mind that if you are looking for more than one copy per mailing address, you'll still need to order from the sidebar to the right.

Also, so that I can keep this post at the top, I won't be adding another until after the 12th of July. Until then, send me an email for more information.

~Jon

Same Child, Different Day: A Little Something for You

The last official chapter in this autism support booklet is "A Little Something For You". The entire point of this final labeled section is: 'Never loose contact with yourself.'

Your time as the parent of a child with special needs --- in this case, autism --- will mostly be devoid of "me time". So when you get free moments, take full advantage of them. It sounds so simple, yet it gets forgotten so easily. You can not take care of your child if you can't take care of you first.

You will feel guilty about it too; that's inevitable. But this chapter briefly lets you know that forgiveness of yourself above all others is paramount.

It's also useless to blame yourself for this sudden life-altering circumstance as well. Instead, celebrate the successes as they come. And remember, we're all here for you --- you are not alone and always have someone you can turn to. Always.

~ Jon

When Ordering Same Child, Different Day

I'd like to thank all who have ordered Same Child, Different Day and hope that you're finding it helpful, informative and enlightening. When you order the booklet, if you could leave me a comment here somewhere, it would be truly appreciated.

Let me know how you came upon the blog site for Same Child, Different Day; it's always fun to find out.

Also, I'm interested to know where you're from. It's interesting finding out what corners of the world our words are filling.

Finally, come back later and let me know what you think of the booklet; let others know as well. I'll take your words of encouragement and your critiques. Since Same Child, Different Day is for you, I can only make it better by hearing from you. And you'll be sharing your honest opinions with other readers. Besides, your opinions are less biased than mine.

Keep in mind that when you order, there is a drop-down for the price break-outs; select from the correct price group and you'll be given the opportunity to enter an exact quantity later. All the prices are in $US at this point - I don't have any way right now to accept foreign payments or convert foreign exchange. At this time I prefer and exclusively use PayPal. If you aren't comfortable ordering directly online (which is actually the most secure way you can go), PayPal provides a mountain of purchase options.

Anyhow, please keep reading and commenting and I'll keep trying to support you and make a difference in the lives of our special kids.

~ Jon

Celebrate the Spectrum Finale

Autism Awareness Month is behind us now; the conference speakers have packed up their projectors, the empty bottles have all been counted, volunteers have all gone home and we get to take a little break for a couple months. But all in all our Celebrate the Spectrum was a wonderful success; we look so forward to next year.

And Same Child, Different Day took the spotlight the final evening. But what was to mostly be a night of me reading from the booklet turned into a wonderful sharing session. Heidi spoke at length about her son Eli, and the pictures she provided were a wondeful touch. Jen shared a poem she wrote which made everyone cry. My Mom shared a newspaper article with a very positive outlook. Mike gave an anecdote that was also quite inspiring. And several others joined in the converation as well.

That's what it's about, after all: the sharing and support we all give each other as loved ones experiencing the same "different" days. Sure, all our kids are at different places on the spectrum. Some of us embrace the public and can't wait to enlighten others. Then there are those families however, who have decided that home is the best place to stay; and maybe these events didn't change that way of thinking at all. We're hopeful that they did, but if not, our number one goal was to show you that we're in this together.

No two ASD kids are alike, and it's those differences that bring us together. If all we showed our new friends is that they have someone to turn to, then the entire month was worth it.

Either way, see you next April!

~ Jon

Same Child, Different Day: The Unknown

Autism is an unknown. My good friend Heidi, whom I've mentioned before, has a great saying: "If you've seen one child with autism...you've seen --- one child with autism". No two are alike, yet its the differences that join them.

The chapter of Same Child, Different Day: One family's experiences during the first year after a child's autism diagnosis entitled "The Unknown" is similar to "Bedtime" in that it's a short by informative chapter. It talks about those differences and many more: like what causes our son's meltdowns, won't be what causes your child's. Yet, it's those meltdowns that make them so similar.

And the cause of autism is yet to be proven; which makes it difficult to find the right mix of therapies that will work for you and yours. But what works for you, though it will differ from us and the rest of the world, will be what works for you. It's as simple as that.

There's the connection: It's all these differences that bind us. And that's what this chapter tries to share.

If you'd like to read more of Same Child, Different Day, you can buy a copy (or several for your organization). Just click the PayPal link in the sidebar.

~ Jon

"Same Child, Different Day" Goes Global

I'm very excited that Same Child, Different Day has reached around to the other side of the world. I was contacted recently by a group in South Africa asking about our little booklet. To our new-found friends, thanks for your support and welcome to Same Child, Different Day; if it helps even one family, then "Misson Accomplished". To all the rest who have supported us so far, I have to tell you that none of this would be possible without you!

Our New Web Page

Here's just a short note to ask you to please check out the new web page for Exceptional Parents of Exceptional Children (EPEC), www.geocities.com/rutlandepec or you can click here!

Jenny McCarthy...again!

Jenny McCarthy. Jenny McCarthy. Jenny McCarthy. I'm guilty to admit that if I keep hearing the name Jenny McCarthy every time a news or Hollywood outlet mentions autism, I'm going to have a melt-down of my own.

I promised when I started this blog, that it would only be about Same Child, Different Day and anything that promotes, supports or supplements it. And I swore to myself I this wouldn't be a rant blog. I've had bad luck with that in the past so let's just say, I'll try to make this the only one of it's kind.

Jenny McCarthy has a son with autism; granted and my prayers to her. And she's found what she believes is a treatment that seems to have cured him, in her eyes; hallelujah and praise God. If it's true, nothing aside from the same happening to my own child would make me happier. But, for all the reporting outlets to have dubbed her the end-all and know-all when it comes to autism is finally getting to me. She purports herself to be a self-appointed autism advocate for parents, but I don't recall asking her to be my self-righteous martyr.

First and foremost, there are countless fantastic families and individuals who have done as much if not more where the diagnosis has touched them. But you don't hear about them because, unlike Ms. McCarty, they don't have piles of cash, unlimited free time or the benefit of celebrity to thrust them into the limelight. On the contrary: many have given up jobs and homes, to move in with family and devote all their time and money into caring for their child, because their state, insurance company or community won't or simply can't help them otherwise.

Also, Ms. McCarty has found apparent success with her son's particular issues. However, as my good friend Heidi is fond of saying: if you've seen one kid with autism, you've seen one kid with autism. What works for Jenny McCarty didn't work in our specific situation, and it may or may not work for you. But the celebrity community-at-large has embraced Jenny, and have chosen to utilize her as a resource for all things autism. That's an unhealthy route to take, when you consider she does have a specific agenda she's pushing, and knowing that not all of those affected by autism share the same beliefs.

Yet, Jenny McCarthy is called upon time and time again to answer every question that could be asked regarding autism. I'm not claiming that any other person would be better versed on the subject, especially not a school-trained stranger not living the autism maze. But there are other families experiencing this condition, parents who don't hold a narrow-minded focus or agenda. It's the way of our society: popularity is the biggest factor we use in determining the most qualified authority. Just once I'd like to see the news media call on a regular family with a typical laundry list of daily tasks, a reasonable income and no axe to grind.

Anyhow, I said I wouldn't rant, and I don't want to get all irrational and thoughtless. And I surely don't want to invalidate the struggle I'm sure Jenny goes through on a daily basis. No matter the degree, autism is a challenging, life-changing diagnosis. I just wish society had chosen a more appropriate representative.

~ Jon

'Celebrate the Spectrum' Radio Interviews

April 1st marks the beginning of National Autism Awareness Month. Begun in the early 1970's by the Autism Society of America, the nation now recognizes April as a special opportunity for everyone to educate the public about autism and issues within the autism community. Along with that, my own local support organization, Exceptional Parents of Exceptional Children (EPEC) is pleased to roll out 'Celebrate the Spectrum': a month-long series of events, activities and talks aimed at sharing our lives with our community.

To make folks aware of this month's activities, my EPEC co-chair (Heidi) and I set out on two radio interviews: one locally with our most popular radio station (Mix 98.1/WJJR) and a smaller, independent station in our queen city of Burlington (105.9/The Radiator). On separate occasions Heidi and I have both been on the program (The Next Frontier) with the host Anne Barbano, who also produced a wonderful video called "Living the Autism Maze" (check it out here).

To listen to our talk about 'Celebrate the Spectrum' and also how Heidi's National Guard duty affects her relationship with her son, please click on this link (interview). The page takes about a minute or so to load, so please be patient. Of course, I talk about Same Child, Different Day, too!

~ Jon

Same Child, Different Day and 'Celebrate the Spectrum'

This booklet has proven to be a worthy resource in more than one way. For example, I was given the offer to speak in front of an autism support group because of the info I present in Same Child, Different Day. However, that turned into co-chairing that same group; Rutland, Vermont's 'Exceptional Parents of Exceptional Children' (EPEC).

And EPEC was once a small, little-known group until I had the good fortune to meet Heidi Corcoran Wener. Once we put our heads together, we were able to quickly turn what was formerly a monthly support group into the area's leading source for autism information and personal knowledge. And April will kick off "Celebrate the Spectrum", a month-long series of activities and events for folks living with autism, their families and the community-at-large.

"Celebrate the Spectrum" itself began life as merely a book reading, and has now turned into almost two dozen activities, presentations, events and celebrations of everything autism. If we could make Rutland, VT the premier go-to location for autism events (I say I'd like to make Rutland the Sturgis of Autism), then what a response from a little 50-page booklet.

The reading of Same Child, Different Day will still be the signature event of "Celebrate the Spectrum", but how exciting that it has grown to be so much larger than itself! And all in a few short months.

~Jon