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Saturday, November 28, 2009

The Foundation for Funding Autism Education Because We Are Grossly Underfunded

Last Friday, the husband and I were invited to attend an Autism fundraising event held by a local couple.  Their son was also diagnosed at the age of two and the devastation that it brought mirrored our own pain and frustration. 

But this family chose to turn grief into hope.  They began a foundation, in their son's name, in order to support their local public school special needs teachers as the epidemic grew and the state budget shrank.

We, meaning the Autism Community, are, for the most part, not a united front.  I'm probably not supposed to say that, but it's true.  We are divided by theories and diets, medical "miracles" and conservative approaches.  We argue online, in the media, in tidy living rooms; we gather our latest research and statistics, and have little patience for naysayers because lives are at stake.  But in the end, we are just parents with a common denominator, holding on to any thread of hope that our children, stricken with something that we struggle to understand, will someday live a life that makes more sense and causes less pain. 

Our own family has taken a more conservative approach with our son.  We believe firmly in the progress he makes through a rigid schedule, filled with behavioral interventions, speech, occupational, and physical therapy, and a classroom environment that makes sense for a little boy who is unable to voice his demands the way most children can.   His epilepsy makes him especially vulnerable to the medical interventions that work for some families.  We cannot afford to take risks and so we stick with what we know.  But we respect the passion that other parents posses in treating their children.

We are the guinea pig generation.
Struggling to find answers through trial and error.

But back to my original point

The family that started this foundation to serve their local community, was inspiring, to say the least.  I sat there that night, watching the table they reserved for their son's teachers, therapists; miracle workers really, and my mind began to race.  What a beautiful tribute to their little boy; turning anger into action.   Bringing much needed supplies to classrooms that need it the most.  Building a bridge between educators, parents, and children, instead of burning it, like some of us regularly do.

And so naturally, the next step was to copy them.

So here we are.  In the planning stages of our very own Non-profit organization, in honor of our son, to better our special needs community in an area we can all agree on:  better resources for our Autism Educators. 

That's where YOU come in. 
We're not asking for money (yet)
Just some help in picking out a great name.

Below are some of the ones we've come up with so far.

Andrew's Foundation for Autism Education

The Andrew Autism Foundation

The Foundation for Autism Education in Honor of Andrew Because He is The Best

The People's Republic of Andrew

Autism Sucks and We Need Money to Stop It So Pay Up


 Let us know what you think.

After all, it has to fit on the "Pay to the Order Of" line of your check.


4 comments:

Tammy said...

Good for you!
I am so inspired by parents like yourself who are such incredible fighters for their children.
On the same hand it pisses me off that there is absolutely no help out there (financially) that even comes CLOSE to supporting our families affected by autism.
And you are so right..we are the guinea pig generation.
I wish the the very best with your foundation and would def. go with
"Autism Sucks and We Need Money to Stop It So Pay Up" as far as the name.

Anonymous said...

This is so awesome JO! Good for you! I know you will make this a huge success and something for your family to be proud of. :)

As far as the name, I love Andrew Autism Foundation. :) It has a nice ring to it!

amru333 said...

Andrew's Autism Angels

my son's first teacher's were angels.

btw just found your blog, Love it!!

40 years young said...

Love it..my vote is for The Andrew Autism Foundation b/c i think if it's kept short, that is best for checks. I liked another suggestion of Angels in the name someone had mentioned.
Since I also deal with autism, I had to admit this one made me laugh :
Autism Sucks and We Need Money to Stop It So Pay Up - because that is the one I feel in my soul the most. But otherwise my vote is short, simple & sweet. Keep writing!!!