Terri Hershey here.  Think of Hershey's chocolate, and you'll have no trouble remembering my last name! LOL

I am a mother to a beautiful little boy, David Patrick Morgan, who is autistic.  Autism is a little understood disorder that causes unusual behavior, difficulty in relating to people (my son seems to relate better to objects than people; it seems as if he is in his own little world a lot of the time), and developmental disabilities.

David can talk, walk, do most things for himself; however, he does need help in social situations.  If things get to be too crazy, too noisy, etc., he will more than likely have a meltdown, which is always embarrassing.  People then think I'm killing my child, when all I am doing is trying to calm him down; then I have to remove him from the area, and try to reassure him, to get him to quiet down.

I can't tell you how many times David's had one of his "meltdowns" in public; this is when I wish I didn't have a child with his condition!  I wish he were like any other normal little boy; I wish he could relate to people, have more friends, play/act like any other normal child!

David does go to a school for children with special needs.  There they help him with learning how to relate to people; I don't see it really doing much good for him; however, anything is better than nothing, I guess.  He has classmates who are blind, deaf/hard of hearing, mentally or physically disabled, even autistic, like himself.  He does pretty good, but as I said, he still has trouble relating to people, even me.  That's what is so frustrating to parenting a child with autism because you never know what may set him off, or how he is going to behave.

I have been attending a parent support group for parents who have children with special needs; it's been nothing short of miraculous.  I realize now that I am not alone, and that there are other people who are facing the same uncertainties, challenges as I am.  I have made a wonderful friend in Chloe Martin, who has a little son, the same age as mine, with spinal muscular atrophy.  I have also made friends with a woman named Erma Kirkman, who has a daughter with cerebral palsy and a man, Pierce Hunter,  who has a daughter with AIDS.  We are each other's sounding board, and I now can't imagine my life without these people!

Remember that little girl I was telling you about, that little four year old on America's Got Talent?  Well, she got booted off while trying for the top five; an opera singer named Neal E. Boyd took the top prize.  I wasn't surprised that Kaitlyn Maher got voted off; she is only a little girl; she should enjoy her childhood while she can.  I wish nothing but the best, not only for her, but for little David Militello, the little boy who has autism.  He got voted off too while vying for the top forty competitors. 

My son has been singing ever since watching that show; he figures that if little David Militello can do it, by God, then so can he.  He sings just about every time (that is, when he isn't having one of his hissy fits), and he really is quite good.  I am surprised; I didn't realize he had such a good little singing voice!  Maybe I ought to encourage him to sing more; it may help him get over his shyness, difficulty in getting along with other people!

Well, next month, David will be seven years old.  He was born on Christmas Day.  We are planning a party for him, me, my husband, and our son; it is going to be a quiet affair.  We are going to get him a WII Game System; he absolutely adores video games; it may help him in the long run.  I can only hope it does!  (Shhh, don't tell David; we want it to be a surprise! :) )

I am going to go now; David is calling me; he's home cold with a stomach virus.  He got it the other day; he came home from school, throwing up.  He's doing a little better, but we are keeping him in bed until we make sure he's over this thing.  I will write in here again soon; until later, this is Terri signing off!  God bless and happy Thanksgiving to you and yours, early!

We are going to MeeMee's house for Thanksgiving; that's my mom.  David just adores her!

Love, your friend, Terri Hershey. :D

~To be continued.~