Autism Sunday: Day of Prayer

*I am writing this now, so that others have time to spread the word before Sunday! Feel free to pass this post along if you'd like. I am a firm believer in the power of prayer.*

As some of you may know, this Sunday, February 13th is Autism Sunday, the International Day of Prayer for Autism. You can read more about it here.

Some facts:

• Autism affects 1 in 110 children. (This is the conservative number, others say 1 in 91.)
• Autism is more likely in boys.
  
• Autism is the fastest growing developmental disability.
• No person on the autism spectrum is alike, but autism affects 3 main areas to varying degrees- communication (both verbal and nonverbal), social skills and behaviors.
• There is no cure for autism, but therapies (and for some biomedical treatments) can greatly help, especially when started at an early age.

I have written more on the subject in the past, so feel free to check our my previous postings for more info. But onto the point of this post, praying for autism!

I ask you to say a prayer for both children and adults living with autism, that they may have the best life possible and that God be with them in their struggles. Pray for parents and caregivers, to give us the patience and strength to continue fighting for our kids and to not be discouraged during hard moments- meltdowns, never ending therapies, dealing with negative behaviors and judgment from others. Pray for the teachers and therapists that work with these kiddos, that they may be able to reach them and bring out the best. Pray for understanding, that this generation of an autistic children will be accepted as the wonderful people they are, autism and all. Pray for the parents of the newly diagnosed as they start on this sometimes scary journey into the unknown. Pray for those bringing awareness and doing research. Pray for healing of the medical issues that many on the spectrum deal with. Pray for my son and his classmates who are the most amazing little group of kiddos ever. In general, pray for the autism community as a whole.

I hope you will join in on this event and help to spread the word- it does not take money, you don't have to give up your day, just a few minutes, that's all. Thank you so much.