State's autism rises despite vaccine change

Irish, I have an autistic child and even though I realize your sense of humor and you mean no harm, I don't feel you could even begin to imagine the daily struggles these individuals face.

Everyday I watch my child face challenges that would be so easy for most children and it breaks my heart.

I have a son who has begged to play basketball but he can barely run and when he gets happy, he displays distorted facial expressions and waves his arms around.

I finally gave in and signed the papers for him to play at school. His practices start tomorrow and I am worried that some of the other kids will make fun of him and he will want to give up.

My son is 10 years old and in the 3rd grade so he is larger than his other classmates but mentally on their level. He still cannot tie his shoes. He will be going through puberty soon but will not fully understand the changes that are taking place.

He is excited about the fact that he will be able to drive in less than 6 years and cannot wait to get his license and drive. He has all the hopes and dreams of a typical 10 year old boy but my husband and I know that things will always progress slower for him and it may take longer for him to grasp the concept of driving so once again, he may get left behind his peers.

I would give anything to be able to see the world through his eyes for just one day because he is such a mellow little guy with a heart of gold. He has a smile that would melt anyone's heart and never finds bad in anyone.  The drawback to this is the fact that when other kids are making fun of him, he doesn't always realize it and therefore makes him an easy target for bullies or others wanting to take advantage of him.

I do not ever want ANYONE to feel sorry for my family because I am so very blessed to have my son. I have learned so many lessons from my son on how to let things roll off my back and how not to sweat the small stuff but just realize that sometimes even the most innocent comments about a disability can affect that person and their family members.

Autism and mental illness are two issues that I am very passionate about because I have loved one's who suffer from both issues. 

Wic - I edited the best I could (see original post) - I don't know a way to delete an entire post.  It was an ill-advised joke - I apologize.

I didn't know Bill Gates had autism!  Wow!

They think Einstein had Asperger's Syndrome, which is also a form of autism.

I believe we also have an autistic type (by that I mean in the spectrum) child in our family. There has been no diagnosis however, I would love to look into it further. Never know for sure if the info on the web is correct and was wondering if any one had sites or knowledge they would like to share. We hear a lot of... its hard to tell if its something or if its a natural 9 yr. old behavior. Understandably so, considering a doctor only visits with the child for minutes. Your passion comes through your words and I have this same love for our child, any info would be greatly appreciated!