We are proud to announce our most recent Featured Member on A Child Writes. Ki has not only been very active in A Child Writes with writing her PenPal regularly but has also shared in the enthusiasm behind our mission by helping spread the word of our launch with family and friends. Ki sent in three cards last month for our Featured Cause — Autism Awareness. When viewing Ki’s cards you could tell she put a lot of thought and time in creating them. She truly was passionate about putting a smile on a child’s face and reaching out to show she cared.

Way to go Ki and keep up the good work!

For the next two weeks we will have a giveaway running from Corner Art who has been kind to offer one entrants a chance to win a design of their choice from their company! Today we kick off the Corner Art giveaway by telling you a bit more about the company.

Corner Art began in a girls home in South Africa, the mission is pretty simple, “to help these girls create a craft that could be sold at market to tourists”. The paper mache critters first created by the girls in South Africa never actually made it to market since they loved them so much they kept them for their own rooms. Corner Art was created with these girls in South Africa in mind and this company donates 5% of all their profits to the organizations listed on Corner Art’s About Us page.

Corner Art has offered one lucky reader the chance to pick their own design upon winning! Please read on for official rules to enter and deadline!

How To Enter:

Visit Corner Art and have a look around. Come back here to leave a comment telling us what your favorite design is.

Additional Entries:
(one entry per com­ment, above entry must be com­plete before addi­tional entries)

• Blog about this give­away link­ing back to A Child Writes and leave perma­link in comment
• Tweet about this give­away (only once per day) and leave perma­link to tweet in comment
• Reg­is­ter your child for a free account and leave their screen name for ver­i­fi­ca­tion in comment
• Add the ACW but­ton to your blog or web­site and leave a link to ver­ify in comment
• Fol­low A Child Writes on Twit­ter and leave your Twit­ter han­dle in comment
• Sub­scribe to the ACW Newslet­ter and leave email in comment
• Sub­scribe to ACW RSS Feed and leave email in comment
• Like A Child Writes on Face­book and leave your FB user­name in comment
• Stum­ble this blog post and leave your Stum­ble­Upon user­name in comment

*Give­away is open to all U.S. Res­i­dents 18+  Entries will be accepted until Tuesday, May 25th mid­night CST.  Any and all com­ments after that time will not be counted towards give­away entries.  Reader must leave a method of con­tact within com­ment and must respond within 24 hours of con­tact, oth­er­wise a new win­ner will be cho­sen.  Random.org will be used to select a ran­dom win­ner from com­ments on this post.

Full Dis­clo­sure: Product is being provided by Corner-Art for purpose of giveaway and will be shipped directly to the winner.

Giveaway has now ended.

Congratulations Linda Lansford for winning the Corner Art giveaway.  Thank you to everyone who entered.

Coffee Crusade has agreed to accept cards from our mem­bers and dis­trib­ute them. As a way to express our thanks to this won­der­ful orga­ni­za­tion we wanted to share addi­tional ways mem­bers can show their sup­port for Coffee Crusade:

• Purchase coffee to send to a particular soldier by including their military address.
• Donate money to Coffee Crusade to help support their efforts, you can see a donate button on the lower right hand side of their website.
• Share this featured cause and organization with your readers on your website and/or blog site.

Thank you for your con­tin­ued sup­port of our Fea­tured Cause, the mem­bers are what will make A Child Writes’ mis­sion flourish.

*Don’t for­get for each piece of mail sent in, you are placed into the monthly draw­ing for a grand prize and two run­ner ups. Please remem­ber to put your ACW user­name on the envelope

Farms have always held a special place in my heart. My beloved grandfather was a farmer and I spent many of my formative years blissfully enjoying the open air and country life. As I consider the possibilities for my oldest son’s future I see a farming life for him as well.

This is a decision I’ve made not because I like free vegetables, although I do. I’ve never quite made it to eight servings a day, but ingesting all of them in a twenty-four hour period is something I aspire to achieve. I still have ambitions.

No, my son is going to live on a farm someday because I want him to have something worthwhile to do as an adult, to participate in a job in which he’ll take pride and satisfaction. I also want him to reside on a farm because there is something there he loves almost as much as movies on his DVD player, and cute fifth grade girls who play with him at recess.My son has a thing for horses.

Quite honestly, I never would have thought to try horseback riding with my six-year-old autistic son if it hadn’t been for a free day of lessons that Parents of Autistic Children (POAC), our local autism organization, had sponsored. Justin has never really engaged with animals, has generally avoided them, and has even regarded my mom’s dog with suspicion. Plus, I’ve always considered horseback riding to be an expensive sport, and since Justin will cost the equivalent of four neurotypical children, I didn’t think the activity was in the cards for us.

But on a crisp fall day this past October my mom, son, and I drove out to what passes for farm country in western New Jersey, and decided to give our equine friends a shot with Justin. If worst came to worst, even if he hated it, at least it would kill a Saturday.

I figured he’d probably give it a try if we encouraged him from the sidelines, and he lived up to our expectations. He tentatively climbed up on that horse with three people flanking him on both sides, held on for dear life, and at each turn, regarded me with only a slight air of desperation. Since each child only got fifteen minutes on an animal I hoped he’d make it through his time-slot without either sliding off his pony or protesting vociferously, and he did. He even seemed mildly happy about the event afterwards.

When I found out the owner had a slot open on Saturday afternoons for lessons, I decided to jump on the opportunity. I thought we’d give it a month, and if he remained this grim and declined to loosen his death grip on his horse du jour’s mane, we’d call it quits. I’ve found with Justin, you never really know if he’ll like an activity unless you try it. Sometimes, you have to try something many, many times.

Over the last few months he’s fallen into a rhythm with Crackerjack, his newest host. He has relinquished the reticence he experienced during his first few lessons, and instead embraced an exuberance toward this activity that I usually only see him reserve for snack-time. On weekends that he rides, as we pull into the stable, he strains against the harness on his car seat that protects both him and his mother from his Houdini-like ability to escape, eager to be released from its confines so he can visit his old friend. He races inside the barn, and I have to remind him that riding a horse with a full bladder isn’t the most palatable prospect as I lead him to the rudimentary bathroom. As I do so he always glances through the large bay window into the corral, and his entire body shakes with excitement at the prospect of a ride to come.

At first this activity was solely for him, but over time, it has come to have great meaning for me as well. Every Saturday, come rain, sleet, show, or shine, I lead him into the ring where his horse patiently awaits him. I barely have to assist him now as he climbs the mounting block, so steadily and with such confidence. As I watch him ascend with such assurance I am reminded of how difficult it was for him to walk, how six months after he was supposed to be making my life a holy hell by his mobility, I watched him begin to take tenuous, faltering steps, and was concerned at his lack of overall coordination.

After attaining the summit of the mounting block I see him attempt to place his foot securely in the stirrup and swing himself over the waiting back of his ride, and I recall how distressing it once was just to secure him in the car to arrive at an outing such as this, and how he now revels in adventure.

I watch him firmly grasp the reins as he steadies himself on his charge’s back, and see him tentatively caress the mane of his pony as he attempts to convey his affections. There was a time in the not too distant past that he avoided all interactions with anyone not genetically related to him, and I am reminded just how far he has come, how he now seeks out the interplay of discourse, the give and take of simple social interaction. He is no longer afraid to connect.

I find so often, as I am immersed daily in both the tragic and trivial consequences of autism, that I forget to notice his accomplishments, the small strides and great leaps that comprise his progress, that contribute to his peaceful, happy soul. These lessons have given that back to me, have offered me the opportunity to appreciate his courage, to be proud of him for every struggle he surmounts, and even those he doesn’t. This farm extends to him the gift of pleasure, and affords me the opportunity to reflect. I am thrilled to have provided it to him. We both learn something here.

And as I watch him round the corner of the barn, barely glancing at me as I enthusiastically cheer him on from the sidelines, I realize anew how much he has taught me to appreciate the smallest joys, the slightest increments of achievement, the pleasure of surprising him with a newfound love. This gift, he bestows upon me.

About the author:

My name is Kimberlee Rutan McCafferty, and I’m the mom of two young sons on the spectrum, ages three and six. I’m a former elementary school teacher and presently a stay-at-home mom who is both therapist and advocate for my children. Recently, I started a blog, http://autismmommytherapist.wordpress.com/ in which I share my family’s experiences dealing with autism.

Having a child with special needs I can relate to the story shared in this book.  I also highly recommend all children read it.  I’ll be honest, lately I have been struggling with my own special needs daughter and when reading this book it brought tears to my eyes.  The love shared in this story is amazing.  The book is beautifully illustrated by Shane W. Evans and the words are very easy for children of all ages to read and understand.

The story is about a set of twins where the brother is born with Autism.  It is told through the eyes of a child — his twin sister.  The story is very realistic which is what I enjoyed the best.  It shares good times as well as not so good times.  It also helps explain to children why someone with Autism can be different and how it is okay to accept the difference and how to understand it.

The message on unconditional love is very high in this book which is impressing to me.  My tween daughter read the story after me and could relate to the sister in this story.  She also agrees with my review and would recommend it to her friends.

Scholastic has offered us 3 copies to giveaway in honor of Autism Awareness Month.

How to Enter:
Leave a comment on this post sharing your favorite Scholastic story book you read to your child

Additional Entries:
(one entry per comment, above entry must be complete before additional entries)

• Blog about this giveaway linking back to A Child Writes and leave permalink in comment
• Tweet about this giveaway (only once per day) and leave permalink to tweet in comment
• Register your child for a free account and leave their screen name for verification in comment
• Add the ACW button to your blog or website and leave a link to verify in comment
• Follow A Child Writes on Twitter and leave your Twitter handle in comment
• Subscribe to the ACW Newsletter and leave email in comment
• Subscribe to ACW RSS Feed and leave email in comment
• Like A Child Writes on Facebook and leave your FB username in comment
• Stumble this blog post and leave your StumbleUpon username in comment

*Giveaway is open to all U.S. Residents 18+  Entries will be accepted until Wednesday, May 5th midnight CST.  Any and all comments after that time will not be counted towards giveaway entries.  Reader must leave a method of contact within comment and must respond within 24 hours of contact, otherwise a new winner will be chosen.  Random.org will be used to select a random winner from comments on this post.

Full Disclosure: Dwan Perrin, founder of A Child Writes was sent a copy of the book My Brother Charlie for review purposes and 3 donated copies have been offered for the opportunity of a giveaway to the A Child Writes readers.  All opinions in this post are 100% Dwan Perrin’s.

When my son, Sam, was diagnosed with severe autism at the age of 18 months I scoured the library shelves and internet for resources and information to help my extended family and friends better understand what autism is and what it is not.

I found thousands of articles online and scores of books at my local library about Autism.  There were grassroots action groups, groups declaring that vaccines had poisoned their children, others rallying around a debate over genetics, and countless others claiming to have “cured” their children through biomedical approaches, chelation therapy, and intensive dietary restrictions.  I quickly realized that I was not ready to join the fight to stop autism.  Instead I embraced accepting my son for who he was as he was.

The best book I ever read on the subject of Autism was neither written by a doctor nor required the assistance of one in order to decode it.  I remember coming across it in the store and feeling the title pull me in.  The book was Making Peace With Autism: One Family’s Story of Struggle, Discovery, and Unexpected Gifts by Susan Senator.  There are so many things I love about this book.  First and foremost is the fact that the Senator’s did not see their son’s autism as something that needed to be eradicated by all means necessary.  Instead they fought for his placement in better schools that could better meet his needs.  When that failed they pulled him out and began homeschooling.  They tapped into their son’s strengths and expanded upon them to promote an attitude of success.  As many of us know positive reinforcements will always win out over negative ones.  I also loved the ideas Susan shared about making crisis handbooks for her son.  These are very simple social story books that can be as simple as a few pieces of notebook paper stapled together to look like a book in which you draw pictures of a situation, step by step, that your child can look at and read so they always know what is coming next.  Surprises and transitions can be very scary for autistic individuals but with the use of a social story with pictures her son was able to navigate social activities successfully.  This is a wonderful book for anyone who would like a closer look into a family’s life with an autistic child.  I think it would be especially helpful to those with a newly diagnosed child.

In 2004 Ellen Notbohm expanded upon her list and wrote a book by the same name.  I have not read the book but I am convinced that I would be just as enamored with it as I was with the list it is based on.

There are also a number of very good books marketed towards helping children understand a friend or classmate who has autism.  One of my favorites is for young children and is also a coloring book.
This book features very simple language and is written for children between the ages of 4 and 8.

I own this book personally and have had a lot of success with using it in settings that include my boys interacting with their neurotypical developing peers.  The Sunday school at our local church now owns a copy as well that they will use from time to time when questions from other children arise as to why my boys act or do something a certain way.

Another favorite is Zack the Prairie Dog written by S. Charles Decker.  Decker himself is a father of 2 boys with autism.  His story is both heartwarming and poignant.  It features beautiful pictures which were illustrated by the author himself.  The story features a small prairie dog named Zach who has autism.  He is befriended by an inquisitive dachshund.  The book takes place in the state of Oklahoma with its volatile spring weather and includes a scene involving the emergency of an impending tornado.  This book is nothing less than spectacular for children between the ages of 9 and 12.  It is a rather long book (112 pages) but is very much worth the read.

The internet and your local library are full of potential resources to help any family wanting to learn more about autism.  My personal favorite sites online have to do with acceptance of neurodiversity and preferably include board member who themselves have autism.

Sunday Stilwell lives in Maryland with her husband, Mike and her 2 boys, Sam and Noah.  She can also be found on her blog:  Adventures in Extreme Parenthood and on Twitter @xtremeparnthood.

Care4hire.com is an online family and caregiver database that allows you to find tutors, babysitters, petsitters and much more. Care4hire.com has been in business since 1987, the founder, Candi Wingate has affiliations with a successful Nanny Placement Agency and has been taped with shows such as The Dr. Phil Show, TLC’s John and Kate Plus Eight, and ABC’s SUPERNANNY casting. Families can search a database based on geographical location simply by inserting their zip code. The search tool within Care4hire.com can be used to set priority to nanny or babysitter, making it easy for you to thoroughly check out possibly matches for your family’s needs.

The founder, Candi, now has her own book available called 100 Tips for Nannies & Families that has been a great addition to her Care4hire.com website!

Now for the giveaway … this giveaway is open to the United States only.

Giveaway will end at 12am CST on April 30, 2010

Multiple ways to enter, all entries will be confirmed and any entry not completed correctly will be removed without notification:

1. Let us know what you would use your free one month membership to search for at Care4hire.com by leaving a comment below.
2. Follow @achildwrites and @care4hire on Twitter. Leave a comment below with your Twitter username so we may confirm you have followed both Twitter users.
3. Become a Fan of Care4hire.com and A Child Writes on Facebook, leaving a comment on each Fan Page stating you found the page through A Child Writes giveaway blog post as well as a comment below with your Facebook profile name so we may confirm your entry.
4. Sign your child(ren) up to be a member on A Child Writes and leave a comment below telling us that you did (be sure to insert the email address in email field that you use to sign up with).
5. Subscribe to A Child Writes Blog feed and then leave a comment confirming you subscribed
6. Subscribe to A Child Writes Newsletter and leave your email or name used to subscribe in comment
7. Tweet up to 2 times per day about this giveaway. Copy and paste the following: “Enter to win 1 month free @care4hire from @achildwrites http://bit.ly/a4ynC7 ”

Disclosure: No compensation was received for this giveaway and other than working with Care4hire.com to host this giveaway A Child Writes has no affiliation with the business.

Tonight, Monday, April 12, 2010 at 8pm CST  founder, Dwan Perrin, will appear on CreateChatter TV to talk about A Child Writes.  If you are interesting in hearing more from Dwan Perrin live please be sure to tune into CreateChatter.tv to watch the show at 8pm CST.  If you can’t make the live show tonight, check back later to view the recorded version.

If you are looking to see when you can hear a live webcast about A Child Writes or learn more about events we attend please visit our Events Page.

National Autism Association of Central Texas has agreed to accept cards from our members and distribute them. As a way to express our thanks to this wonderful organization we wanted to share additional ways members can show their support for the National Autism Association of Central Texas:

• Send a monetary donation.
• Attend a local event.
• Purchase items from the National Autism Association of Central Texas store of wonderful hand made creations.

A Child Writes is passionate about creating smiles on children’s faces and we hope our members will be able to share in this experience by creating cards and mailing them into us so that we can distribute them to children affected by autism.

Thank you for your continued support of our Featured Cause, the members are what will make A Child Writes’ mission flourish.

*Don’t forget for each piece of mail sent in, you are placed into the monthly drawing for a grand prize and two runner ups.  Please remember to put your ACW username on the envelope