All For Bu

In our house, Autism Awareness is all year 'round... This weekend, I will be going to the local Autism Speaks walk. I will be going to try to meet other parents in my huge city that share my experience, and to gather resources in my community. I am NOT, however, donating to Autism Speaks. Here's why: I don't donate to any causes that have walks or events because guess what it takes to put on these events? Money. There's no way of knowing how much of your dollar goes to research truly. Worse yet, I've never heard of a family with children on the spectrum getting financial help from these organizations. Research is obviously important, but as a mother struggling to pay for therapies, vitamins, a special diet, etc...research is something that's out of my scope. I'm actually opening a GoFundMe for Bu to ask people for donations for his therapists because thanks to his crap insurance, he hasn't been able to see his OT for almost 2 months. The struggle is real. Really real. What can you do? Easy. -Do not judge. You never know if that child at the store having a fit is really a brat, or if he's having a meltdown because the sound of someone's shopping cart is overwhelming. -Be kind. A child might not be trying to give anyone a hard time, they might just be having a hard time. It gets frustrating to not be understood. -Be patient. My son doesn't usually respond to verbal cues from unfamiliar people, and rarely makes eye contact with most people. He's not being rude, that's just how it is. Don't take it personally and don't insist.-Donate your time or money to FAMILIES, not organizations. We need them more than they do. You'll make a much bigger difference. This includes things like just asking how we're doing with the intention to REALLY listen and let us vent.-Be understanding. People with ASD are still people. Not less, just different. EVERY SINGLE PENNY OF EVERY SINGLE DONATION will go straight to Bu's therapies, supplements, special diet, and anything else he specifically might need to help on his journey. This account is not in any way to be used for our family or our household. As the name implies, it's ALL FOR BU.Thank you so much for you generosity and love. I'm overwhelmed by how many people read our story and wanted to help. I am forever indebted to you all.