April 8 summary

Below you will find the items shared on April 8

6 Lessons I Learned From My Brother With Autism 

My brother can do a lot of things, but he will never understand financial matters or the danger of walking into traffic or walking in a parking lot. He will never be able to brush his teeth on his own. He will never be able to speak. These are things that we all take for granted, but we shouldn’t.
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Brother of student with autism shines light on disorder by Mike Isaacs

Who likes pizza?" and then hands inside the Middleton School classroom shoot high in the air.

"Who plays video games?" and the same hands fly upward.

Dylan likes those things, too, his younger brother explains.
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My Everyday Life as an Autism Mom by Lisa Quinones-Fontanez

When my son, Norrin, was diagnosed with autism my mom told me, "you don't have to tell everyone about it. It's no one's business." I just didn't see the point of keeping it a secret. From the beginning, I was open about it, willing to talk and answer questions. And as a blogger, I really open myself up for discussion — and scrutiny. 
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Student gives voice to her sister with autism

Charlotte Whitesell, a fourth-grader, won the grand prize at Duke Energy's Invention Convention in March. Her invention, the Help-Me-Talk box, was designed to help her autistic sister communicate. Her sister, 7-year-old Rebecca, uses the box to talk to her family. Rebecca uses the box to say words such as “yes,” “no,” “bathroom,” and “hungry.”
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