Acceptence is the key!!!! (original date 8/25/2010)

The following in red is a comment on the news story for our stolen sign. The blue is my initial response & black ink will be more feelings I have.

There is a lot more to this story as Ms. Frost has stated. This family has lived in Maine for 3 months. Why did the family purchase a home on the busiest street in town if they truly cared for their childrens' welfare? Why did they not purchase one of the many similarly priced homes in quiet, safe neighborhoods?
Why have they not extended the fence from the back yard so that children cannot dart into the road when they are being placed in a car? Why are the parents bringing all this attention (media, television photos, street signs, etc.) to their children? Where is the common sense in this situation?
All children (and parents) in town will now know that these children are identified as special needs. Why was this done? Most knowledgeable parents want their children out of the limelight and want them to have every opportunity to blend in with all other children. Parents generally do not want their children to be labeled right off the bat; rather, they want their children to have every opportunity to grow and develop without stigma. For the Frost children, every child on a school bus will now know that the young ones in this house are 'different.'
The parents really need to join support groups that are appropriate, learn positive strategies for raising their children and enhancing their development, and stop thinking that the Town of Kennebunk, drivers on Route 35, and first responders are responsible for the welfare of their children. Use some common sense!
I had no intention for responding to all your comments putting down the idea of a sign.As it seems you all are perfect & have no clue what I do on a daily basis to teach & help my boys but I will respond to the extremely OUTDATED views of LabbieDogsMom comment of the following-
"All children (and parents) in town will now know that these children are identified as special needs. Why was this done? Most knowledgeable parents want their children out of the limelight and want them to have every opportunity to blend in with all other children. Parents generally do not want their children to be labeled right off the bat; rather, they want their children to have every opportunity to grow and develop without stigma. For the Frost children, every child on a school bus will now know that the young ones in this house are 'different.'"
Let's start with your last word "different"-everyone is different, no two people are exactly a like.As for kids & parents knowing my children have Autism, the more that know the better. The hardest part of Autism is social acceptance and it is NARROW minded people like you who make it hard. Why on earth should I want my children to hide who they are. My son plans on telling his class about his Autism, this way they will understand there is a reason for his quirks. Education is the key to acceptance, maybe you should join a support group to learn not to judge others when you don't know them or all the work they do in the Autism community. It was fine that most of you attacked the idea of a sign, but DO NOT attack me or our parenting when you have only heard a 2 minute news story and don't know everything about us.
Sorry I have to comment on this too -
" and first responders are responsible for the welfare of their children"
What on earth does this mean???In the case of an emergency every parent would want their child to be saved.The sign helps first responders know HOW to help my children.If you read my response it is for the safety of first responders too.
Labbiedogsmom - you say I need common sense, I say my sons could teach you a lesson about caring for others & loving people for who they are. As I finish writing this, my anger of your comments are fading and now I feel bad for you. It is sad that you need to judge me and tear me apart on this page, for WHAT??? Do you feel better about yourself??? Do you feel superior now??? We are very positive about our boys which is why we do not feel it is right to hide who they are and AUTISM is a HUGE part of who they are. And I AM EXTREMELY PROUD OF THEM !!!!!!!!!
She wrote her comments last Friday & I have thought about them a great deal.  Most knowledgeable parents want their children out of the limelight and want them to have every opportunity to blend in with all other children. This sentence makes me laugh, "knowledgeable" having three boys with Autism, I think I am quite knowledgeable. "every opportunity to blend" really??? With their quirks they don't blend. It is better the kids know about Autism and understand the quirks. That is much better than kids thinking that the boys are weird or worse the kids picks on the boys for their quirks.
Last year Donald told his class about his AS & it helped him a lot. The kids understood him and he had kids to play with at recess. Before the kids were told they didn't understand him, just thought he was strange. We have found the kids tend to be more receptive then their parents about Autism.
The year is 2010 not 1950, why do people still want to hide differences.  When will people understand that things still exist even though they are not talked about. I have never understood why people pretend everything is OK,  when in the real world we know things happen. After being molested I grew up being ashamed because I never understood what had happened because it was not talked about and people pretended nothing happened. When I was an adult & finally came to terms with being molested & raped, I was so upset about the "hush hush" attitude people took. I vowed to myself to be honest about who I am. My honesty has not always been received well as most don't like talking about such topics but their are many I have helped with my honesty.
Once a customer and I would talk about our kids all the time. Over time I could tell by the way she talked about her son that she was a survivor. One day we went to get a soda during my break, I told her about my past. Then she told me about hers, she had held it a secret for 33 years. That day was a new start for her as she no longer felt ashamed, she was free in a sense. She hugged me and told me that she was so happy I told her my story as it gave her courage. That day confirmed my feelings about being open about who I am is best.
I will bring the boys up having them be open & proud  of who they are as there is no reason to hide their Autism or to pretend they are NT. I know some may not accept or like the boys because of Autism and that is OK, to each their own. It is their loss not ours. My feeling is that I would rather my boys have one true friend that accepts them for who they are, Autism & all then have 10 friend that think the boys are NT. Society accepting Autism is the key to children being successful.