This is Jacob. This is autism.

I know I have fallen silent here again. This time it's because I have been overwhelmed by the fallout from the events of the past week. Newtown.

There has been a misguided media feeding frenzy focused on a possible autism diagnosis of the shooter, and erroneous speculation that autism was behind Adam Lanza's heinous acts.

There is much destructive misinformation spreading around the world.

Ignorant, spiteful people have created hate sites about how autism = violence, and proclaiming that autistic people are monsters who should all be rounded up and jailed or exterminated.

I can't...

I just can't...

I can't even breathe when I think about this.

I have not been able to write about it yet, finding myself just too devastated, frightened and overwhelmed to form a cohesive sentence. (Hence the radio silence.)

But many many friends of mine have been writing, voices of love and light to meet and answer the tide of fear hate.

For starters, read these, here:

A letter to Elisabeth J.A. by Jillsmo

My Son Has Autism. Please Don’t Be Afraid. by Jo Ashline

When Children Die, It’s Time to Grieve and to Reflect, Not to Scapegoat by Rachel Cohen-Rottenberg

And also a movement sprang up, a photo meme: "This is Autism" - to put a face to autism as we know it, with words describing some of the wonderful, quirky, delightful people who are on the autism spectrum. Parents are sharing their children, adult advocates are introducing themselves.

And that I could do; thus this picture, with these words.

And we're all sharing it here, on the Autism Shines facebook page.

Come, see the beautiful shining faces of so many of us and our children. Share your own images. Meet some people with autism who are not violent scary monsters, but our wonderful children and our wonderful selves.

OK, I realize if you're a reader of my blog, I'm probably preaching to the converted, but please share this page widely and maybe it will reach someone who needs to hear it.

Peace to you all. More words here soon.

Autism: Shout it Loud

Jacob the Not-Ever-Quiet kid

OK, I am totally on board with the NOT silent Autism Day that has been organized by those of us who can not or do not want to shut up for the Autism communications shutdown today.  Me, I'm a talker, what can I say.  If you know me, you knew which camp I was going to fall into, now, didn't you?

The problem is I am just stupid silly exhausted from the Halloween weekend-a-thon and, well, life and parenting in general.  And I'm looking ahead to a filled-to-the-brim-get-tired-just-looking-at-my-datebook kind of week for this one that has just started today.

Which is a long way of saying I have had neither the time nor inclination to write a lovely spanking new post for the Autism shout-out today.  I could just blather on here with whatever random thoughts are rattling around in my head, but I will spare you.

Really, you should thank me for this, because today's thoughts? Along the lines of: "Hmmm what food group does candycorn belong in?  Since it's called 'corn' can I count it as a vegetable?"

So what I'm going to do here is put in some linky links.

First I will point you to a few of my old posts that are all about the Autism (as opposed to the ones about old people dying or ADD or the bitter-sweetness of late summer or random brain fluff).   Kind of like when TV shows run a "clip reel" episode.  You know, the ones full of "flashbacks" that are really just the good parts of old shows strung together on some flimsy premise that justifies the trip down memory lane, like: "Penny just hit her head on a rock and has amnesia so we have to help her remember who she is by reminding her about all the fun we've had together these past three years."

And then I'm going to link you up with some other Loud Autism Bloggers. Because you should be reading these awesome folks.

So here's some of my "good bits" about Autism:

My "Big thoughts" Post:  From Autist to Artist
A cranky (somewhat funny) rant:  On Having Had a Craptastic Day
Appreciating my funny, adorable son: Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Poopyhead
The evolution of Jacob's smile: Hold the Cheese
Teaching Jake to buckle his seat-belt, Part 1: Cruel to be Kind
Teaching Jake to buckle his seat-belt, Part 2: No Sweat

And now for those other wonderful Loud Autism Bloggers, like our ringleader, Sunday, she of the screaming banshee avatar.

Go to her blog here: Adventures in Extreme Parenting and click away on the linky links.  Go, explore.

Also you'll find quite a few of these folks in my right sidebar under "Some Blogs I Like to Read."  May I recommend these awesome Autism bloggers?:
The King and Eye

Try Defying Gravity 

Mama Be Good

Stimeyland 

a diary of a mom 

Paris-Ankara Express

MOM - Not Otherwise Specified
Mommy To Two Boys
stark. raving. mad. mommy.

So, say it loud: I Love Someone with Autism and I'm Proud!