Searching for a cure

If you have school-aged kids, you’ve probably had “the meeting.”

You know, where the teacher sits you down and tells you all the things your child isn’t doing well.

Maybe she has a list prepared. Perhaps it is filled from top to bottom with words that detail his inattention, frequent disruptions or outright disrespect.

But most meetings don’t feature tears from the mother, teacher and one-on-one worker. The typical father, feeling the weight of his gender on his shoulders, wouldn’t have to watch all of that with a stiff upper lip.

But the life of a parent of a child with autism is anything but typical.

And, last week, that scenario played out in front of me in a little room in the office at Four Oaks Elementary.

I don’t want to paint the picture with all blacks and blues – the tears were those of committed people. People who want the best for my son, Ethan. People who love him and care for him. People who are just having a little trouble putting the latest puzzle together.

You see, raising Ethan is a little like a book of riddles. Each page has its own set of clues and an eventual solution, but getting from A to B is rarely a straight line.

That meeting reminded me of two things.

How far we’ve come and the distance we’ve yet to travel.

I have no doubt that Ethan will overcome these most recent obstacles. I know he will.

Why?

Because he’s already defied the odds.

He’s already speaking, reading, laughing, playing, learning and dreaming – things that we were told he would never do.

We’re attacking autism with every resource we can find, and we’ve been lucky to have a good support group of family, friends and dedicated professionals who have helped along the way.

Those of you who know me know that I’m not really one for causes.

Except this one.

And this Saturday, me and several thousand of my closest friends will walk through downtown Raleigh in the 2009 Triangle Run/Walk for Autism.

Many of my friends have already donated and/or are planning to walk the 5K with us. For that, I’m truly grateful.

If you haven’t, visit this site and give what you can.

Join me. Help me take the fight to autism. The Autism Society of North Carolina is a fantastic resource for families dealing with this disorder. I know how much they’ve meant to me and my family.

Don’t wait. Help us today.