2/20/08 - Update

Ok, I know I haven't posted in 6 days and now I'm suddently doing it twice in one day but I just can't help it. I'm so excited the department is hosting "autism awareness for first responders" training in April. I've completed the presentation and now we are just going to upload some video and voila, we are all set. The presentation will be given by our Training Chief and Carrie, the therapist from the U of M autism and communication center. If anyone wants a copy of the presentation to perhaps be used as awareness for any other organization, let me know. We are also going to do press releases regarding the training and giving away stickers to citizens to identify their homes and kids rooms that have autism to help first responders be prepared for the differences in the homes, i.e. extra locks, etc. In addition, my co-worker is a wonderful fundraiser and we are going to try to parnter with a local company to have them sponsor some tshirts for me to sell to go to the autism walk this year.

We hope to do this during April for autism awareness month and then people can wear their tshirts on Fridays and promote awareness. I'm really excited about this idea and will keep you posted on how it goes. Yes, soon I will be asking everyone to support the walk again. Autism Speaks has done WONDERS for my familly. Don't forget they co-sponsored the study that Tyler is in which is changing our lives. We hope to have video clips in the next month or so from the beginning of the study vs. now so you can see the differences. Its' amazing. Autism Speaks and the University of Michigan Autism and Communication Center rock!