Hi5!

“Flickering crystal heartbeat symbolizing the precious multi-facets of living on the Autism Spectrum“

‘Enjoying The Hi-5’s of Autism – A Family Experience’ is our family series of blogs.

‘Enjoying the Hi-5s of Autism’ – “a holidays blog of ‘uniquely different’ perspectives of neuro-developmental conditions”
will share posts centered around calendar events.

Hi-5! We are still just as excited about our 5 year old as the day when the doctor pronounced, “You’re Pregnant!” Yep, we’re still jumping for joy, and so is he! We are sharing our joy, disappointments, successes and challenges as a family with a child touched by AUTISM – a neurological condition that is considered a developmental disability. If you care to share, please do. Join us on Google Blogger/Buzz/Reader, Facebook, Twitter/Twellow/Twellowhood, MySpace, hi5, Yahoo!Buzz, orkut, digg, YouTube, reddit and WordPress. ENJOY!

Hi5!

Why?  This is our son’s way of expressing his ‘hello’, showing appreciation, acceptance and approval.  The clapping of the palms of his 5 years old hand with another person’s, resounds CONNECTION!  Often, this act is accompanied with his smile or a laugh – BONUS!

ENJOY!

As family, friends, caregivers, neighbors, colleagues, associates and acquaintances of those touched by being on the Autism Spectrum, we must learn to ENJOY! their ‘uniquely different’ perspectives of life. We share about ways to Accept, Understand, Embrace, Appreciate and Support people on the  Autism Spectrum with other neurodevelopmental conditions(i.e., Asperger Syndrome, Rett Syndrome, Childhood Disintegrative Disorder, Pervasive Developmental Disorder-not otherwise specified).

We rarely use the term ‘disorder’ when referring to Autism and related diagnosis.  We prefer to use terms with neutral and non-preconceived connotations, such as: ‘condition’, ‘issue’, ‘preference’,  ‘focus’, ‘disposition’, ‘perspective’, ‘complication’, auditory integration, sensory processing, sensory integration, ‘atypical’ and ‘uniquely different’.  Whenever possible, we use these preferred terms, with the understanding that various academic, medical and professional disciplines have chosen to proliferate other terms that denote traditional and currently widely-accepted viewpoints.

We are the family that advocated for Twellow (Twitter online yellowpages) to establish 5 new Raising Awareness Categories(10.11.10): Developmental Disabilities, Developmental Delays, Learning Disabilities, Neurological Disorders, Sensory Integration Disorder and Sensory Processing Disorder.

If  you care to share our social networking posts, link with the following “Enjoying the Hi-5s of Autism – A Family Experience” sites:

(Twitter & Twellow directory) @EnjoyHi5Autism, KBJCosse’ | (is babymiracle2005 on Twitter); KBJ Cosse’@babymiracle2005

(WordPress – holiday blog) https://enjoyhi5autism.wordpress.com/about/

(Facebook – webpage with Discussion & Events tabs) http://www.facebook.com/pages/Enjoying-the-Hi-5s-of-Autism-A-Family-Experience/

(Google/Blogspot/Buzz – original posts with reference links) http:familyenjoyinghi5autism.blogspot.com

hi5 – EnjoyingHi5Autism – hi5.com [http://enjoyinghi5autism.hi5.com];
orkut @ EnjoyHi5Autism KBJCosse’ -http://www.orkut.com/Main#Profile;
reddit @ EnjoyHi5Autism
MySpace – EnjoyHiAutism – MySpace ;
digg – EnjoyHi5Autism – digg.com [http://digg.com/babymiracle2005];
YouTube – EnjoyHi5Autism on YouTube [http://www.youtube/user/EnjoyHi5Autism]
TravBuddy maps – ‘Have Autism…Still Travel!’ TravBuddy.com [http://www.travbuddy.com/maps/5618234]

Intrinsically, we believe that ‘People with disAbilities are ValueABLE.  We incorporate and share our mantra in every aspect of our lives.

Professionally, we are trained in caring for people with a variety of ABILITIES challenges (i.e., disabilities, conditions, preferences, tendencies,  predispositions, etc..). We have helped youth and adults while serving as a Job Coach, Residential Treatment Assistants, Special Education Instructors, Brain Injury Client Supervisors, Social Advocate, Court-appointed  Family Advocates, faith-based youth and couples mentors,  Personal Care- Takers for family-members and friends.

We appreciate every individual, company and organization that afforded us these opportunities to share our knowledge, wisdom and compassion.  Likewise, we thank those persons and agencies which taught us endearing components of  the disAbilities community.

We believe that this background prepared us to love, care, advocate, and appreciate our son who is “Enjoying the Hi-5s of Autism!’

ENJOY!

The KBJ Cosse’ Family