Doing Good for Others

Do you ever find yourself thinking about what are you doing with your life?

Do you question how you can feel good about something you have done?

I have and what I have found is that my mother was right. It is better to give than receive. So now I try to give my time, my knowledge and sometimes some of my money to something that I believe in.

You must be living in a box if you have not heard about Autism. Autism is everywhere. Right now, April is Autism Awareness month. Autism has been in the news due to the ever rising prevalence. Jenny McCarthy, a former PLAYBOY playmate has a son with Autism; Doug Flutie, a famous football player has a son with Autism as well; Dan Marino, Hall of Fame quarterback for the NFL team Miami Dolphins also has a son with Autism. Sylvester Stallone also has a son that has been diagnosed with Autism as a child.

The diagnosis of Autism is now 1 in 110 children here in the United States. At this rate, eventually we all will be affected by this diagnosis.

Now, I bet you are thinking, "How can anyone feel good about Autism?"

I don't feel good about Autism, but I feel good about what I can do to help people that have been affected by Autism. I can help in very small ways that come across as huge to those in need.

Where I live in Maine, there is the Autism Society of Maine. I became aware of this nonprofit organization when I was a Certified Nursing Assistant for a family that had nonverbal twin boys with a diagnosis of Autism. Working with these children, I had to become educated on Autism and what to expect. What I learned was that no two people with Autism will ever be the same as it is a "spectrum" diagnosis. People with Autism are just as unique and individual as you and I are.

So maybe I won't cure Autism, but even sharing what I know is helping to educate you, the reader in being more aware of the diagnosis and the needs of those that work with Autism or live with Autism every day. Back to feeling good The Autism Society of Maine's mission is to serve "individuals with autism and their families, professionals, and communities by providing education, advocacy, referrals, and resource development. The Society provides current information in support of informed choice of treatments and services." So ASM is there to help anyone with any questions that they may have regarding Autism. That is great because I had so many questions when I first became aware of this diagnosis. I wanted to know what someone with Autism looked like. Was it something that was contagious? I learned that someone with Autism doesn't look any different from you or me. And NO it is not contagious. The more I learned - the more I wanted to learn. I started working with more children with the diagnosis as their respite provider, their CNA and their Behavioral Health Professional. I worked with children that were verbal and those that were nonverbal. I worked with children that were aggressive or those that injured themselves and those that were so mellow that they would put anyone to sleep. Each and every child is different, yet they all have the same diagnosis of Autism. So where does the good come in? The good is the feeling I get when I am now doing something for ASM. They provided me with what I needed in a time when I craved knowledge of something new. Now I look for ways to give to them. How can you feel so good? That is something I will share in my next post.