I walked by a small park with a mom and her son. They were swinging. After Anna and I exchanged a smile and a hello, Jacob chimed in. I know their names because Jacob asked for my name and told me his. The majority of our conversation centered on where our cars were parked. It was a fun conversation with two sweet people.
As we were saying good bye, Anna thanked me for stopping. She told me that most people get annoyed when Jacob talks to them. Many, she said, walk away.
I was wondering if I missed something. I could think of no reason to walk away from this engaging boy. I sat down on a swing. Anna had a story to tell.
Anna went on to explain that Jacob had autism spectrum disorder. The degree to which my heart hurt hearing that people walked away from him could not compare to the degree to which her heart must hurt every time people turn away from her delightfully winsome child.
When we stop, we hear stories.
Today is Autism Awareness Day, kicking off Autism Awareness Month. Lamar Hardwick wrote, "Autism awareness should be about expanding people's exposure to the life of autistic people. It cannot be done with statistics; it can only be done with stories."
Anna had a story to tell about her life and the life of her son Jacob. We can say a prayer to grant a mother strength and a child a voice. We can donate to an organization or walk to raise money. We can stop and listen to the stories. If we want to find the missing puzzle pieces, they are there. In the stories.
When I first started working, I saw but one child who was most likely on the autism spectrum. To be honest, I'm not certain how well the two of us fared. Plain and simple, I did not understand autism and it was scary to me. He was scary to me. That is a pathetic confession but I confess often. When the incidence of autism skyrocketed, I was introduced to many families and children on the autism spectrum. I spent many hours literally on the floor, building connections, gaining understanding, and eliminating fear.
Lamar Hardwick, the guy quoted about autism awareness, has a story. Lamar is a pastor, scholar, husband, father and a person on the autism spectrum.
