Autism Support in NJ... my reaction to an article about a special autism event in Cherry Hill, NJ

"Museum Opens Its Arms to Children With Autism"

By Bill Duhart
For the Courier-Post
February 22, 2010


Click on the link below to read the whole article.
Courierpostonline.com Article


     This article talks about a special event hosted by the Discovery Museum in Cherry Hill, NJ, for the Open Arms foundation.  The museum opened its doors one night for only autistic children and their families.  This provided the children a chance to play and explore in an environment where they felt they belonged.  The children were comfortable with their surroundings and each other, and were able to have fun.  This allowed the parents and families to relax as well. 

     In gratitude of the event, one mother who attended, Kim Marple, stated,"If he has a meltdown on a typical day it might be a tragedy for us and everyone else. Here, if he melts, he just blends in. He can be himself."  She also said, "I don't have to be embarrassed if [my son] is making a scene.  I don't have to feel like I'm alone. This is a night out for us, too." 

     I think that is fantastic and fully applaud the Discovery Museum and Open Arms for recognizing some of the everyday difficulties that autistic children face along with their continued efforts to relieve some of the pain and struggles faced by these children and their parents. 

     Early intervention is vital to improving the lives of autistic people and it is great to see that events like this are occuring to help aid that goal.

     I urge you to take a look at the article and definately to pass along this information to anyone you know who has autistic children and lives in the NJ area.  The article stated that these events at the museum are usually geared to kids up to the age of 10. 

Thanks for reading! <3 

My Cause :)

Hi everyone!! 

     I've been wanting to plan some sort of event for awhile now, and in my mind I always wanted it to be a fundraiser.  I found out not that long ago that someone very close to me has autism.  When I first heard this news it explained a lot of things, but I still didn't know what to make of it.  With further explaination (and then additional research on my part), I gained not only a better understanding of autism, but also a desire to help better the lives of autistic people.  I recently changed my tune from "I want to host a fundraiser for autism" to "I am going to host a fundraiser for autism", and here I am writing this blog as one of the steps to achieving my goal.  I've spent a few weeks coming up with ideas and possible methods, and have spoken to some people about what I need. 

     I decided to name my cause Raise Your Voice.  I chose that name because there is a need for more autism awareness and by raising your voice and speaking to others about the disorder that need can be met.  I plan to raise my voice and host various awareness events where I share knowledge and facts about autism. 

     I also created a logo.  The main image of the logo is a teddy bear.  I chose to use teddy bears because a teddy bear doesn't discriminate--it loves you for you.  I used different colors for the hearts on the teddy bears' stomachs because there are different types of autism and everyone is different with respect to their symptoms.  I chose to highlight the logo with the four words that highlight my goals for this cause.  Those words are: Awareness, Support, Research, and Early Detection. 

I feel very strongly about this cause and I hope you will too. :)

This is the Raise Your Voice Mission Statement:

     Autism affects an overwhelming number of people, and is steadily increasing. However, not many people are really aware of the disorder or understand it. It is my desire to increase AWARENESS about Autism and potentially more EARLY DETECTION, as well as, to raise funds for continued SUPPORT and future RESEARCH for a cure. With increased awareness, we can decrease some of the hardships faced by autistic people and their families. I've seen how cruel kids can be to someone who is "different", and it is my hope that through knowledge and understanding we can create more acceptance of autistic children in schools and social events.


Click on this link and check out the Raise Your Voice - for Autism page on Facebook:
     http://www.facebook.com/pages/Raise-Your-Voice-for-Autism/320846900982?ref=nf 
*If you would like to email any information, ideas, suggestions or support to Raise Your Voice, please send it to this email address:
RaiseYourVoiceforAutism@yahoo.com

     I plan on hosting various fundraisers and awareness events and could definately use any help you are willing to offer.
Please stay tuned! :)

I ♥ you all!!!