Gift-giving for good! - Autism Awareness.

The Season of Giving! 

Here at CorLiving, we have always made it a priority to support charities affiliated with Autism support and awareness. This disorder hits close to home for us just as it does for many families in Canada. As we gear up for Giving Tuesday, during an especially tough year we are focusing on promoting Autism awareness and how you can help!

We asked one of our team members who has been directly affected by Autism to give us a first-hand look at how her family copes.

An estimated one in every 66 Canadian children and youth aged five to 17 have Autism spectrum disorder. Having such a large number among Canadians is surprising especially when many of us don't know much about the disorder and how autism affects children and their families.

"People need to know there is nothing wrong with them, they are like any other child, it takes a lot of work, support, and therapy to up his levels. - Brandy, CorLiving Team Member

Typically detected in early childhood, some of the effects cause impairments in communication skills and social interactions, often combined with repetitive behaviors and restricted interests or activities. Although autism affects everyone, boys are four to five times more likely to be diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder, or ASD, than girls.

"Jayden, my son, is 12 years old. When he was around three I noticed that he was struggling with quick changes, the way he played seemed a bit different, I just had a feeling something was up. We got an assessment and it came back as negative, they said it was just anxiety. After 3 years, I was documenting everything he did to be able to get a second opinion and testing, as I knew, as he developed, that something was just not right. Finally, at five years old, we got a second assessment and it came back positive. We were lucky as many families don't get the secondary testing, it's very rare" - Brandy

Many of us don't know much about ASD, we also tend to assume it is an all-encompassing disorder however, individuals on the autism spectrum tend to have varying degrees and combinations of symptoms, and therefore, treatment must be specific to the individual. There is no standard “type” or “typical” person with an Autism Spectrum Disorder.

In order to have the support needed to address specific needs for every person costs money, time, and sacrifice. Many families are just doing the best they can with the circumstances they are in. Government funding is quickly used up to get the care these individuals need.

" I had to move because there are no support systems for autism in smaller towns. We moved to Vancouver for more opportunities, resources and it has been easier to find help here" - Brandy

Parents and Families sacrifice so much to give their children whatever they can, but the stress and extra time and effort it takes to adapt to life with Autism can take a toll on the parents.

"There is an initial shock, but you take it day by day, it does get easier" -Brandy

It is so important to speak out about Autism, especially with diagnosis rates being so high in Canada, We at CorLiving want to always shine a spotlight on this disorder, to educate and help support those living with Autism.

" It's important to be aware because when people don't know they might not be aware of the signs, to get a diagnosis you need to be aware of your child. The more people that know about Autism, the more others will understand." - Brandy

There are many outlets for information about Autism, we have linked a list of resources below.

If you want to support click here to purchase a stuffed animal, 100% of the proceeds go towards Autism charities helping kids and families all over Canada

" I've purchased 3, to support, because I know how it helps" - Brandy

Resources
Autism Canada - https://autismcanada.org/
Autism Speaks - https://www.autismspeaks.ca/
Autism BC- https://www.autismbc.ca/
Government of Canada - ASD - https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/autism-spectrum-disorder-asd.html