The statistics are frightening and seem to get worse all the time. Science is still at a loss as to how and why the incidences are increasing. And there is no cure. That is the stark reality of autism. And receiving a diagnosis for someone you love is life changing. For many families in Great Bend and the surrounding area, autism is something they must deal with every day. It can be isolating, lonely, and scary and resources in this area of the state are very limited. Fortunately, three area agencies are working together to form Connecting the Pieces—a community support group for autism spectrum disorder.
USD 428, Sunflower Early Education Center, and The Center for Counseling and Consultation began collaborating this spring and developed this mission: To connect families and caregivers to each other, as well as to community resources in order to assist children with ASD and their families in achieving social, school, community and family milestones.Parents of children on the spectrum feel alone a lot. Sometimes they may feel that they are the only ones who have ever felt like this. Going to the store may result in a melt-down, going to Church may get rebukes from its members, and even the Zoo can be a sensory ordeal. And many things that come with autism are not visible to the outsider such as sleep issues, gastric problems, and anxiety.
The next meeting of Connecting the Pieces will be at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 4, at the Sunflower Early Education Center, 1312 Patton Road. Babysitting will be provided by calling 620-786-0243 by June 2. Call with any questions or concerns.
Sometimes the greatest source of information is the families themselves. Knowing others are going through some of the same things and being able to share with one another is a boost mentally and practically, as information is shared
“These parents are fully embedded with their children on the spectrum. They understand how certain sounds, smells, and noises can bring on sensory overload for their child. All of things most people can filter out are sometimes impossible for a person with autism. And parents definitely know the difference between naughty behavior and an autistic meltdown. The general public does not. Consequently, another goal of this group is awareness,” said Ros Neeland, one of the group’s organizers.
“When I think of those dark early days of our diagnosis, I realize how much we have learned about our granddaughter, things we now can share with others in a similar dark time. With the continually higher instances of autism, everyone will eventually know or love someone on the spectrum. It is our duty and goal to raise awareness in our community and our little group is a good start.”