Isaiah 54:17
"No weapon formed against you shall prosper, And every tongue which rises against you in judgment You shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, And their righteousness is from Me,”...Says the Lord"
AO365
AUTISM_OPTIMISM 365
Meet My Trusted Friend!!!
One of the BEST gifts you can offer your autistic loved one is YOUR MOST TRUSTED FRIEND! You know, the one that keeps your secrets secret...even if they don't agree! The one who enters your home at 3am to check on you when you are suffering from a migraine, then wakes-up at 6:30am to iron your child's clothes and take them to school and picks them up! The one who takes off work to join you in court to fight for child support, and stops at the grocery store on the way home to make sure he eats the food and snacks he wants and needs! What about the one who drives 11 hours to fulfill your child's Prayer Request to go to DISNEY WORLD and set him up for an EPIC Birthday Surprise complete with cards from his favorite Disney characters to reservations at Chef Mickey's to so much more! The idea of having friends who would do any of these things for you without expectations of getting something in return seems unimaginable...the fact that I have all of these wrapped in one....IS A MIRACLE!
"The Wind Beneath My Wings" I am truly Thankful for her friendship and Humbled by her "works"!
She is there to celebrate his accomplishments! 3rd Grade Writing Contest Winner!
Santa's Special Elf!
"The Wind Beneath My Wings" I am truly Thankful for her friendship and Humbled by her "works"!
Be A Trusted Friend!!!
As a recipient of such kindness I can't express to you enough to benefits of having someone in my life (outside of my family), with whom I can trust my son, and in whom my son has trust! Autistic journey's are challenging, exhausting, and in some cases, leads to isolation. As a parent I want to provide him a healthy and thriving environment, but as a human being, who has experienced the high's and the low's of exhaustion and isolation, I have learned that I can't offer him that if I am not healthy and thriving. Even greater than that is his potential to regress as a result of my inconsistencies! Liz has been my Gatorade on this marathon of a journey! She is at every milestone to check my status, every rest-stop when I need a break, and finish-line when I finally cross! My Prayer for every single/family autistic household is that you can find Peace and Strength in a Friend!!
Keys To Being A Trusted Friend
OBSERVATION

You should first get to know the traits of your autistic friend. Ask the parent/guardian questions as it relates to behavior and sensory triggers.
GET CONNECTED

Identify the common interest and bonds you share. No matter if it is a TV show; song; restaurant, or a color, the key is the connection! Once you make that connection you can build it up!​
BE CONSISTENT

Most autistic loved ones are routine oriented and time managed, therefore it is important to keep a consistent activity/personal time schedule with them. Not only that but it helps to increase their developmental progress!
JOURNAL IT!

Keep a journal of your budding friendship and the ways in which you are establishing trust; catalog the fun times in pictures; and share your development with their parent/guardian!
Don't know what to put in your journal? Order our AO365 Trusted Friend Journal!