Because we have homeschooled for so many years, we have had the privilege of getting to know, not just other homeschooled kids, but entire families who choose to homeschool their kids. Everyone, of course, has their varied and complex reason why they've opted to educate their kids at home. I've made some of my most precious friendships through homeschooling.
This is one of the loveliest and best kept secrets of home education. We get to share life and friendship with entire families that share our same values for education. In the context of making these family relationships, we have encountered quite a few that have been touched by autism.
Even this semester, Jonathan has a few friends who land somewhere on the autistic range. One of his friends, who is a bit awkward socially is an amazing and prolific musician. Another is quite a hilarious player on Jon's improv team. Happily, these kids find a safe place within the homeschool environment. I love how our community of homeschoolers come together as families and the kids with autism are included.
About Autism (from the Autism Speaks website):
Autism is a general term used to describe a group of complex developmental brain disorders – autism spectrum disorders – caused by a combination of genes and environmental influences. These disorders are characterized, in varying degrees, by social and behavioral challenges, as well as repetitive behaviors. An estimated 1 in 88 children in the U.S. is on the autism spectrum – a 1000 percent increase in the past 40 years that is only partly explained by improved diagnosis.
When the folks at IMUSA asked me about hosting a giveaway to raise Autism awareness, I was happy to participate. April 2nd is World Autism Awareness Day and the entire month of April is dedicated to raising Autism awareness with its Light It Up Blue campaign.
IMUSA USA and Autism Speaks have graciously partnered with My big, fat, Cuban family to bring you today's giveaway. In step with "lighting it up blue," I'm pleased to introduce the Autism Speaks Blue Sauté Pan from IMUSA USA.
1) To enter this drawing for the Blue Autism Speaks Sauté Pan, please leave a comment on this post and answer one or both of the following questions:
- Have you been touched by autism? Tell me.
- What fabulous thing would you cook in this beautiful blue sauté pan?
Please leave your comment on this post and I'll choose a winner on Saturday, April 21st, 2011 at 8pm PST.
OMG!!! this pan está buenisimo!!!! if i win, i’ll give it to my friend, who has a 16 yr old son with autism!!!! love it!!!!
I am an elementary school teacher and I’ve had the privilege of working w/ several autistic children over the years. They have all touched my heart and have taught me how to be more patient & understanding.This is not anything that can be taught in school or in a continuing ed class.
I have enjoyed meeting their families too! Teachers and parents must be on the same page in order to set routines and do what works best. It has been a real treat to get to know and teach children w/ autism. I have never really seen it as a disabilty, but rather as an opportunity.
I love, love, love your blog. I felt at home looking at your pictures, reading about your life and reading the delicious recipes. I’m Cuban too with 3 kids with an almost Cuban husband of 25 years. (He’s really Italian). I am from California and have lived in Connecticut for almost 8 years. I miss everything Cuban from my family and friends to the delicious food! I tried your pastelitos the other day and my kids LOVED them! Thanks for sharing the recipe!!Autism has not touched my life personally. I am an elementary school teacher and have had students on the spectrum the last five years. Currently, I have I have two boys that are on the spectrum. I am touched by autism through them and I give them and their families a lot of credit for their journey, their challenges and their triumphs! By the way, the pan is beautiful Cuban postings coming, I LOVE them!! Maria<3
i love your blog and all the giveaways. i have two friends whose lives have been touched by autism. in both cases, they have boys who are autistic and they would give the world for these boys. i hear and see the daily struggles and hope that they find their joy.
This is a lovely cause! I’m so glad you are working together to spread autism-awareness.I know a girl in school who has autism- her name is Beth. She is such a social butterfly: she goes to dances, flirts with every boy she meets, and is always making friends. However, since the world is full of cruel people, there are those who often make fun of my friend Beth. I stand up for her whenever I’m around, but I’m not always there.
At homecoming last fall, we were dancing together when she suddenly lost her balance and fell. She wasn’t hurt- just a little embarrassed. Thus, she began to cry. While everyone else was making fun and laughing, I helped her up and danced with her more vigorously than before. THAT got people to stop. Most joined us, and Beth later told me that she had a ton of fun! I feel very lucky to know her and have her as my friend.
Marta, I love your blog and your recipes.. I haven’t been touched personally by autism in my family, but I’ve become friends with a young woman in my exercise class who has a 10 yr old autistic daughter. I see the challenges that she faces with her daughter and its very touching. She’s a great mom and I greatly admire her.
Hey MartaI always enjoy reading your blog and look forward to it. But today was especially wonderful when I saw the word Autism, the blue pan with the puzzle pieces and your touching words about Jonathan’s friend. You see I have been touched by autism because my first born son is autistic. He is a wonderful 16 year old and despite the many, many challenges he is special in so many ways and I am so blessed and proud to be his mother.
If, I win the pan – I would used it to make my son’s his favorite Cuban recipes (too many to mention).
Again, thank you for spreading awareness, support and understanding of Autism through your blog.
Enjoy your blogs…and this is a great organization. Would love the opportunity to win this to give to my niece. Her son is Autistic…she is a great mother.
When I was in grade school there was a kid that all the other kids picked on. He was just a little more “high strung” than others but was by far the most intelligent kid in our class. We went to the same elem, middle and high school and our senior yr he stopped me in the hall and told me that he had a form of autism and thanked me for always being kind and not laughing when ppl made fun of him. I can only imagine how rough things were for him growing up and am honored that he took the time to explain something so personal.
The first time I heard about Autism was through a mom at my kid’s school whose son has Autism. She has done a great job informing her friends about this condition. She has even written articles on line and was in a tv special with her son speaking about Autism. If I were to win this giveaway, I would give it to her, to let her know that thanks to her, we (her friends) understand and support the Autism research.
I work at an elementary school and sometimes work with children that are autistic. I have made friend’s with other Mom’s who have children that fall in the spectrum. These women are remarkable people and provide so much of themselves. It’s truly admirable.I love the pan and if I win, I would make my son’s favorite chicken dish (chicken parm).
Thanks so much for your blog and giveaways.
The first thing that came to my mind when I read this was “I’ll give it to a friend whose son is autistic”. I love the pan and so would she… Oh, so many dishes could be prepared in this awesome pan!
More and more, I think most people know at least one person with autism. I am blessed to know several kids and adults who are on the spectrum. I even have a young cousin with severe autism. His mom has become an expert in the field and even teaches some Master’s level courses at FIU to educate special ed teachers about autism. A good friend that I know through homeschooling has an adult son with autism…I have always said that I am looking forward to meeting Gabriel in heaven and asking him what the heck he thought of all of us “normal” people…pretty sure he has always run circles around all of us intellectually, even if he cant express it…Some close friends have a son with Aspberger’s and Tourettes and they face those challenges with faith and grace…My mom’s boss from when she worked in Spanish television (local news) has a grandchild with Aspbergers and it has been a delight watching him learn to communicate socially through workshops, therapy and sports.I would use this pan to make my yummy breakfast omelets (yes, they are big, so what????)…Love you Martica, love your blog, and LOVE your giveaways:)
I have a wonderful little man who has Autism. One thing he loves to do is help me cook! He likes to cook his famous meaty spaghetti:)That is what we would likely cook in it first!! But I would give it to him and make that his personal cooking pan. He would be soooooo excited!!
My daughter is 2.5 years old, and has autism, she is non verbal, so that has changed me to be more in tune with doing autism research as much as possible to help her. And if i won the pan(which i love love love), i would cook fried potatoes, one of the things she loves to eat(serious food aversions) or cook plenty of other foods we all eat here!
i am a 15 year old girl with suspected asperger’s syndrome and i have a friend who is suspected and two that have been diagnosed. they seem to be some of the best people i know.if i won, would use the pan to help my mommy cook noodles/stir fry and lots of vegetables :3
Our son was diagnosed with ADHD in Kindergarten and with Asperger’s Syndrome and SPD last year, in 3rd grade. Since then, we have had a behavioral therapist and a mobile therapist coming to our home several hours a week to help our son, and to give us the tools to better help him. He also has an OT that helps him at school, when needed. We have several friends with children who are also on the spectrum, and I was a Preschool teacher for several years and I had several children in my classroom on the spectrum. I have learned so much from all of them, from my son and from the therapists. Most of all, I have learned the importance of awareness.We would probably use the beautiful Blue Autism Speaks Sauté Pan to make our son’s favorite food – grilled cheese sandwiches. He would eat them for breakfast, lunch and dinner if we would let him. We have just taught him how to make it himself, and now he always asks if we are hungry for a grilled cheese sandwich. We supervise, of course, but he does a great job! He would love to cook them using this pan!
Hi Marta!Yes! My cousin’s son is autistic . . . I admire her dedication . . . she’s a wonderful mother!
Below is one of my favorite pieces regarding having a child with a disability.
*****
Welcome to Holland
by Emily Perl Kingsley
I am often asked to describe the experience of raising a child with disability – to try to help people who have not shared that unique experience to understand it, to imagine how it would feel. It’s like this……
When you’re going to have a baby, it’s like planning a fabulous vacation trip – to Italy. You buy a bunch of guide books and make your wonderful plans. The Coliseum. The Michelangelo David. The gondolas in Venice. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It’s all very exciting.
After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. The stewardess comes in and says, “Welcome to Holland.”
“Holland?!?” you say. “What do you mean Holland?? I signed up for Italy! I’m supposed to be in Italy. All my life I’ve dreamed of going to Italy.”
But there’s been a change in the flight plan. They’ve landed in Holland and there you must stay.
The important thing is that they haven’t taken you to a horrible, disgusting, filthy place, full of pestilence, famine and disease. It’s just a different place.
So you must go out and buy new guide books. And you must learn a whole new language. And you will meet a whole new group of people you would never have met.
It’s just a different place. It’s slower-paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy. But after you’ve been there for a while and you catch your breath, you look around…. and you begin to notice that Holland has windmills….and Holland has tulips. Holland even has Rembrandts.
But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy… and they’re all bragging about what a wonderful time they had there. And for the rest of your life, you will say “Yes, that’s where I was supposed to go. That’s what I had planned.”
And the pain of that will never, ever, ever, ever go away…because the loss of that dream is a very very significant loss.
But… if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn’t get to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things … about Holland.
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I wish you well 🙂 Melek
“The difficulties of life are intended to make us better, not bitter.” ~ Unknown