1 in 88? 1 in 88! Whoa!

Dear My Toy Garden friends!
    "Tell us more about your child."  
    "Well, he's 5 years old.  Obsessed with the color red.  Nonverbal.  Limited fine motor skills.  No social skills.  Not potty trained."  This is sadly far too common of a conversation we have at My Toy Garden with our special needs families.  There are far too many families out there struggling with how to help their child who has been diagosed with one of the many EIEIO letter combinations created in the last several years.
    From the beginning of my teaching career in 1989 to when I left 6 years ago, I saw a dramatic change in the number of special needs learners in my classroom.  Since I've left I fear it has only escalted even faster.  The Autism rate 6 years ago was 1 in 254.  Recently that number changed to 1 in 88.  Pause please.  1 in 88 children is diagnosed with Autism.  How much lower does that number need to go before we, as a society, take notice and, more importantly, take action!  April is Autism ACTION month!
   The good news is that we can take action.  There is much that can be done to make a difference!  I recently learned about an organization called TACA (Talk about Curing Autism) and they are fantastic!  It's a national organization with tons of information and support. There is a local Indy group that meets once a month in Noblesville.  They offer peer mentors to help new families cope with all the changes. Soo many great things!
  We are very excited to partner with them this month and for months to come!  Next Thursday, April 12, from 7-8 pm one of the coordinators will be here to do a parent workshop titled "Is Autism Treatable?" I've heard her speak before and guarantee tons of helpful info for all special needs families!  You will also get a 1 inch thick resource book for free when you attend that night.  Please rsvp by hitting reply or going to our Facebook page.
   Later,  on Thurs. May 3 from 6:30 - 8 pm we'll be hosting a Special Needs Family Social.  All families are invited to laugh, learn, connect, play and be inspired.  Games, crafts and gluten free snacks are provided.  Hugs to all!  Let's ignite the conversations in our busy world and make that 1 in 88 number go up instead of down for a change!

Playfully,
Toylady Janet