As parents of children with autism, you are by definition, advocates.  Why not take your advocacy efforts further to help others?  Advocacy efforts don’t  have to be noisy and confrontational.  Communication and relationship-building seem to work much better for me anyhow. 

Schedule a meeting with school administrators to let them know how things are going and to share your ideas – they’ll love to hear from you.  Write a letter to your newspaper talking about what you think should be changed (like removing the R word) or why you think your child’s school district deserves a pat on the back. Schedule a meeting with your local legislators, and let them know how you feel about current policy related to people with autism, or just to tell your story.  You may not get to speak with Senator so-and-so or Governor whosit, but you will most certainly get to speak to someone on staff.  It’s true!  I always thought that I’d have to be a big-time lobbyist to speak with anyone in office, but that simply isn’t the case.  Some lobbyists have already worn out their welcome, so a real constituent is like a breath of fresh air. If you are too shy or too busy to meet in person, send an email or make a phone call.

Most of all, be there for other parents.  You’ve learned a lot, now share it with other parents who are just beginning their journey up Mt. Autism. You can sign up to be a parent mentor through a number of different organizations.  Call your state’s Department of Mental Health or ARC to see how you can help.  Or simply go to your  childrens’ parent-teacher organization meetings.  Supporting your child’s school is  a great way to meet new people and to gently make them aware of the sensitivities related to autism spectrum disorders.

And, if you have something you’d like to say, send your comments my way, and I’ll do my best to post them.