Tuesday, April 11, 2017

Rj's Annual Autism Awareness Blog Hop 2017




I’m extremely proud to be taking part in Rj's Annual Autism Awareness Blog Hop 2017 .


This year’s blog hop theme is animals, and I’ve been incredibly fortunate to be blessed with a farm filled with animals over the years. I can personally attest to how our livestock have helped me and my family through difficult times. Many a day has been spent outside just hanging out with the chickens who never judge or scoff at anything I say. They also think every story idea I bounce off of them is brilliant!

We all know that the animals in our lives bring us untold joy and love, but what’s even more captivating and endearing is how some people with an autistic spectrum disorder respond to animal interactions. Here’s a wonderful article on the Psychology Today website about the beneficial effects of animals on children with autism:


“An animal’s eyes have the power to speak a great language.” 

Martin Buber





Autism Facts & Stats
  • Autism now affects 1 in 68 children
  • Boys are four times more likely to have autism than girls
  • About 40% of children with autism do not speak. About 25%–30% of children with autism have some words at 12 to 18 months of age and then lose them. Others might speak, but not until later in childhood
  • Autism greatly varies from person to person (no two people with autism are alike)
  • The rate of autism has steadily grown over the last twenty years
  • Comorbid conditions often associated with autism include Fragile X, allergies, asthma, epilepsy, bowel disease, gastrointestinal/digestive disorders, persistent viral infections, PANDAS, feeding disorders, anxiety disorder, bipolar disorder, ADHD, Tourette Syndrome, OCD, sensory integration dysfunction, sleeping disorders, immune disorders, autoimmune disorders, and neuroinflammation.
  • Autism is the fastest growing developmental disorder, yet most underfunded
  • A 2008 Danish Study found that the mortality risk among those with autism was nearly twice that of the general population
  • Children with autism do progress – early intervention is key
  • Autism is treatable, not a hopeless condition



If you’d like to share your experiences with animals that have touched your life, please leave a comment below. I'll pick one random winner from the comments to win a digital copy of any of my backlist books. 

Thank you for stopping by. Please make sure to visit all the bloggers and authors who are participating in the hop daily.

Hugs,

V.L.




10 comments:

Tanja said...

Thank you for being part of RJ's Annual Autism Awareness Blog Hop.
Having a child with autism I know it is very important to have them diagnozed in an early stage. We were lucky we caught it rather early and could give him the much needed therapy and guidance. Funny enough he was terrified of animals. Dogs, cats, guinea pigs. The petting zoo was a nightmare.

RJ said...

Thank you for joining in x

Susanne Matthews said...

Well said. Having worked with kids with autism and knowing some well, it's nice to see more and more people learning about this.

laurie said...

thanks for participating in the hop. i know first hand how an animal can help someone. my dad when he was alive had Asperger and our husky x was his best bud. he and i ran a pet sitting business for 16 years till he died and we adopted our husky x from a clients widow who couldn't handle an active dog. she and my dad always hung out together and he loved to be around the dogs i boarded. we did it from our home and he was happier than a pig in mud being able to sit and watch tv w/ a bevy of dogs around him. he did have his fave's outta our clients. some of them were Joe the basset, Guinness the black lab, daisy the black lab, Vincent the doberman x, Rudy the dachshund. he was just more relaxed in amongust the dogs

laurie

parisfan_ca@yahoo.com

Anonymous said...

I always learn a lot on this hop!

vitajex(at)aol(Dot)com

Anonymous said...

I have a little boys with Aspergers, and getting a diagnosis was the best thing ever for our family. We went from wondering what the hell was wrong with him that he couldn't fit in with a normal family, to us changing the normal for our family to fit in with him, and now our world is happy, calm and wonderful. He loves animals and has a fish tank which is great for calming hum, but he doesn't much care for our dog ... But would kill for a cat (he would have to kill his dad to get that tho LOL)!

ShirleyAnn said...

Thank you for the information it is so wonderful when a person with Autism can relate to an animal they seem to have a magical effect sometimes.

booksandmore said...

I work as a volunteer at an animal shelter, and we have a couple of autistc kids who come to interact with the dogs. It is amazing how they help each other!

H.B. said...

Thank you for taking part in the hop and helping to spread awareness. Animals are amazing species and it wonderful that they can make a difference in anyone's life. Thanks for all the great facts.
humhumbum AT yahoo DOT com

Unknown said...

My son was diagnosed when he was a toddler, he is now 17 graduating high school next year. Thank you for participating in the hop.