#AUTISMawareness

April 18, 2022

April is #AutismAwareness Month.

This launch is dedicated to my son Lukas and younger brother Adrian who both have Autism.

Lukas was about 2.5 when he was diagnosed with mild Autism and speech delay in 2019. Fast forward to 2022, he is almost 6 years old! His school is hosting a Super Hero Fun Run Fundraiser and the funds will go towards his class’s social skills programs, creating inclusion activities and more! I created the Puzzle Stud Pack and Magnets to use 100% of the proceeds received between April 18, 2022 to April 28, 2022 to add to his fundraiser which ends on April 29, 2022.

Why am I putting this effort in? I believe in his school district’s special program and development teams. The teachers and therapists we’ve met and who were and have been involved in Luke’s education and well being has been exceptional at their roles and proven more times over their passion and strive for the kids they assist. I know the funds raised will be used wisely and effectively. My son is proof, without the resources in knowing where to start, Lukas wouldn’t have excelled the way he has now. I can be confident in knowing he has a great team to set him up for success.

Growing up in early 2000s’ opportunities and resources like what we have now were scarce and schools yet had much information about the spectrum and the steps to provide help to families that needed it. Can’t you believe this was barely about 20+ years ago? My brother was misdiagnosed multiple times and was always left in classes that weren’t meant for him. My mom would always be upset and would always have to fight to get my brother the best care possible at school, his teachers would make horrible excuses to giving him the proper education and help he needed. She was a great advocate for him, and now that I’m a mom in a similar situation, I understand and hope to be just as fierce as she was when it comes to Lukas and getting what he needs. Adrian, my brother has high functioning autism and is now 31 years old.

If there’s anything my husband and I learned during this whole process, parents too, need ALLLLLL the support they can get. A great listener, sideline cheerleader, and even a prayer warrior and encourager when times get tough. The journey is challenging yet, humbling and a blessing to experience the waves your child can grow and celebrating even the smallest of small victories and big.

We are fortunate that the school district we have and local communities are hands-on and offer resources that aid both parents and their children. This is why fundraisers like these are so important to have and raise funds for, so schools and other programs can gain more tools to shape be accessible for our kids’ future.

HOW IT ALL STARTED

Lukas is our first kiddo, so being new parents in 2016, you just had to grow together to figure it out. When he turned one we did notice he would never point to objects and wouldn’t really give eye contact. There’s this invisible “checklist” when it comes to baby milestones, and it’s hard to not compare at times but you can’t help but see if your child is doing the same things other children are doing. We would bring it up to his pediatrician at that time, during his wellness checkups and he’d always say “he’s a boy, it’s common for them to be delayed,” and so because we obviously trusted our doctor we agreed and didn’t think anything else of it. Only until my husband left for a new job and had to get a new pediatrician since at this time we were now a family of four with Clio. That’s when our new doctor actually questioned Luke’s speech and pushed us to just get a referral even if he may not need it, just in case. If we never moved doctors, we would have missed early intervention and started his whole journey way later. She was a God send.

It’s been a swift three in a half years since Luke’s diagnosis. It feels like yesterday that we had finished early intervention and prepare for Pre-K and have behavioral therapy at home. Today, he still continues to have sessions outside of school for speech and behavior and is almost finished with Kinder. So, being able to fund these participating schools to create more opportunities for my child and others will be a priority to help shape the future they need and have more resources available for them as they get older.

I want to utilize a part of this business to root for him and be braver about sharing our experiences as we navigate through this season that surround this topic. It’s challenging at times, but I am here to let you know if you are also experiencing this similar path, you are not alone!

Once the fundraiser is finished, the funds will help go towards his therapy and upcoming activities! Thanks for your time to read a portion of our story! Your support would mean the world, and it doesn’t have to involve purchasing anything. Just sharing and giving us some hearts thru the gram would mean the world!

<3 Christine