May 9 to May 15, 2013
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AMFM is thrilled to announce Los Angeles based rockers The Record Company set to play AMFM FEST JUNE 13-16TH in Cathedral City. Download their free EP at www.therecordcompany.net and go to www.amfmfest.com for more info on art, music, lm and more at www.amfmfest.com ww 2
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Living With Autism......................3 AMFM Fest-Michael Madsen.......4 Local Music Spotlight-Pssstols...8 Local Music Spotlight-212..........9 Soldiers Organized Services.....10 Consider This-Phoenix..............12 Valley Rhythms..........................13 Pet Place.....................................14 The Vino Voice............................15 Club Crawler Nightlife...............16 The Pampered Palate................18 Screeners....................................20 Book Review...............................21 Restaurant Guide.......................22 Haddon Libby............................23 Education...................................23 Dale Gribow on the Law............24 Real Estate..................................24 Safety Tips..................................25 ShareKitchen..............................25 Road Trippin...............................26 Classifieds..................................26 Free Will Astrology....................27 Mind, Body & Spirit...................27 Health, Beauty, Fitness..............28 Life & Career Coach....................28
Living with Autism & Building New Dreams
May 9 to May 15, 2013
by lisa morgan
A Mother’s Perspective
T
here are those who live and walk among us, drawing daily from a deep well of courage that many of us will never have to tap. The demands, sacrifices and challenges they face on a moment by moment basis, go unrecognized by most. There are regular prejudices and judgments levied against them by others who pass by in ignorance and arrogance. Yet these people carry on, finding joy and purpose in aiding the progress of another who may or may not even have the capacity to thank them directly. These gentle giants are the mothers of children diagnosed with autism. Their numbers are many; much higher than you would venture to guess. And their numbers are rising quickly. Based on the latest statistics listed by the Autism Society, one in every 88 children is diagnosed with autism, a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life, and affects a person’s ability to communicate and interact with others. It is a “spectrum disorder” that affects individuals differently and to varying degrees. There is no known single cause of autism, a disorder that is prevalent in almost 1 in every 54 boys in the United States. It is the fastest-growing developmental disability in the country with a staggering 1,148% growth rate. I wanted to pay tribute to some of the most courageous mothers I know in honor of Mother’s Day. I wanted to write something beautiful, eloquent and moving. But I could not write anything as powerful as the simple testimony of each of these women loving their children deeply, in word and deed every day, on a level that is not demanded of other mothers. Their courageous, fighting spirits are brilliantly displayed, as they simply tell the truth of
their experience, each echoing the joy and pain of it, finding gratitude in hard places. Lisa Jimenez and Her J-Walkers: “It’s about 6 o’clock in the morning and Aidan comes jumping in my bed. He’s asking for breakfast and wants to know what’s happening for the day. Since Aidan needs medication to get through a normal day as most know it, I drag myself out of bed and get started on the routine. We have four young boys. Troy is 10 years old, Aidan & Evan are 8 years old, and Lukas is 6 years old. That in itself is a lot to take on. However, Troy and Aidan are on the autism spectrum. Troy was diagnosed at age 4½, right as he entered regular education kindergarten. Being an educator myself, and after sending him to a year of preschool with other kids, why wouldn’t he take the same route as others did? But Troy had issues. He knew things but had difficulty expressing them. Troy got anxious easily and, to soothe himself, would flap his hands quickly an inch in front of his eyes. He almost always played near other kids but never knew how to play with them. As a parent, it was painful to watch. Why couldn’t my first born be just like all the other kids? Why was I chosen to go through this? What was I supposed to do now? The twins were born six weeks early and in the NICU for almost a month after that. We were happy to add fraternal boys to our family. But our journey was far from over. 2½ years later, we found out that the oldest twin, Aidan, was autistic as well. Aidan seemed locked away in his own world and didn’t know how to get out. He was unable to communicate, except to repeat what we said to him. It was a guessing game to find out how to meet his basic needs. Aidan was happier playing alone or finding a wheel
of a car and watching it spin for hours. He started special education preschool when he turned 3 years old. As a parent, I began to blame myself. Why did my boys have to go through this kind of life? Are they always going to struggle? What did I do wrong? This is what God dealt me. And I chose to accept it and figure out how to raise my boys the best way possible. We have been blessed with wonderful supportive family and friends throughout this journey. Believe me, there are days that I want to give up or run away. But I would never be able to. The boys need me. With every year of school the issues change a bit. But Troy gets help outside the classroom at his school to help him catch up both academically and socially. Aidan works really hard in his Special Day Class and is making huge progress this year. I don’t expect it to ever get easy. But we celebrate our little victories and appreciate all that we have. Early detection is important, but having a strong support system in place is just as important. Every year in April, we (me, my husband, our boys and our extended family and friends) walk for Autism Speaks at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. Our team, the ‘Jay Walkers’, has about 30 members that help raise awareness and donations for autism research. Knowing that we aren’t alone helps. There are many therapies and various organizations that can help autistic kids. I have given advice to friends who
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