Go to page 3. When my son was first diagnosed with Autism, I remember thinking of the condition as my greatest enemy. I devoted every waking moment to combatting and conquering it, shedding tears, saying prayers, and spending my retirement savings on therapies and treatments. Now that my son is an adult, my view has changed. I now see Autism as just another characteristic that makes Jim uniquely Jim. Like his thick curly hair and his deep baritone voice, Jim owns his Autism and uses it to his advantage. I have learned to appreciate the neurodiversity in our home.

1. Text placeholder for the Power of Story
JOURNAL
What is Autism Awareness Month?
Each year during the month of April,
individuals and organizations across the
globe celebrate Autism Awareness Month
with events to educate local communities and raise public
awareness about autism. Almost 50 years have passed since the
Autism Society held the first National Autism Awareness month in
April of 1970. Since then, autism has become the fastest growing
developmental disability in the world, with the diagnosis rate of
children with autism increasing from 1 in every 2000 children in
the 1970's and 1980's[1] to 1 in every 59 children today[2].
How Has It Changed?
Momentum around Autism Awareness month has increased with
higher diagnosis rates, particularly evidenced by the more recent
establishment of World Autism Awareness Day. This day helps to
kick off the month of April with events and takes place on April
2nd every year, a date chosen by the United Nations General
Assembly.
How can I participate?
There are many ways to become involved with autism awareness
month. For instance, on April 6th there is a, ‘4 Mile Race for
Autism’ in Stephens City, VA and on April 28th there is an ‘Autism
Acceptance Walk’ in Fredericksburg, VA. For more information
about events, please visit the ‘Autism Society of Northern Virginia’
The Autism Awareness Ribbon
Have you ever wondered why the Autism awareness ribbon is
comprised of puzzle pieces? In 1999 the puzzle piece ribbon was
adopted by the Autism Society organization. The puzzle pattern
reflects the complexity of the autism spectrum by depicting
different colors and shapes that represent the diversity of the
people and families living with the condition. The brightness of the
ribbon signifies a hope, that through early intervention and access
to appropriate services, people with autism will lead full and
meaningful lives.
References:
[1] WebMD Special Report: Autism - Searching for Answers
[2] 10 Years of Progress: What We've Learned About Autism
Fast Facts
 CDC data states 1 in 59 children are diagnosed with
ASD – that is 1% of the global population.
 Boys are 4x more likely to be diagnosed than girls
 Most children are diagnosed around age 4, though it can
be reliably diagnosed as early as age 2.

2. Power of Story
Are you enjoying the stories we are sharing with you? Why not share a part of your own here!? If you are
interested, please see either Ethan Roebuck or Jami Gilbert for the upcoming topic schedule.
You never know when a piece of your story may just impact another!
Challenge: Grow your awareness!!
Upcoming Events
April 6th
: 4 Mile Race for Autism
April 28th
: Autism Acceptance Walk
Recipe of the Month: Overwhelming Chocolate Cookies
Autism awareness begins the moment you become aware of a new definition of amazing… that
‘normal’ is just a dryer setting… that your view of the world isn’t the only that exists…
that sometimes we judge people before we truly understand them… that sometimes what we
cannot see with our eyes are the things we need to really use our hearts to understand.
 INGREDIENTS:
 1 cup butter
 1 cup sugar
 3/4 cup brown sugar tightly packed
 2 eggs
 2 tsp vanilla
 1 cup all-purpose flour
 3/4 cup bread flour (if you only have all purpose on
hand you can use that!)
 1 cups and 1/4 cocoa powder I prefer to do a mix of
regular and dark cocoa powder
 2 tsp baking soda
 1 tsp salt
 3 cups of "stuff" of your choice
1. 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet
with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
2. 2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter until light
and creamy. Add in sugar and brown sugar and beat
until well combined. Add in eggs, one at a time, mixing
until each is fully incorporated into batter. Add in
vanilla and mix.
3. 3. In a separate bowl, combine flours, cocoa powder,
baking soda and salt. Slowly add dry mixture to wet
mixture, mixing until just combined. Stir in your stuff.
4. 4. Using a large cookie scoop, scoop cookie dough onto
baking sheet. A large cookie scoop holds about 3
tablespoons of cookie dough. Space dough at least 2"
apart.
5. 5. Bake for approximately 10-12 minutes. Cookies
should be starting to firm up but still soft in the middle.
Remove from oven and allow to cool on pan on a wire
rack for at least five minutes. Repeat with remaining
dough. Allow to cool completely prior to storing. Store
in an airtight container. Tip: Storing with a slice of
sandwich bread really helps keep your cookies soft!
6. Yield: Makes approximately 24 cookies.

3. My journey to appreciate neurodiversity
By Viqui Dill, Technical Communications Leader for IT at American Woodmark
When my son was first diagnosed with Autism, I remember
thinking of the condition as my greatest enemy. I devoted every waking
moment to combatting and conquering it, shedding tears, saying
prayers, and spending my retirement savings on therapies and
treatments.
Now that my son is an adult, my view has changed. I now see
Autism as just another characteristic that makes Jim uniquely
Jim. Like his thick curly hair and his deep baritone voice, Jim
owns his Autism and uses it to his advantage. I have learned to
appreciate the neurodiversity in our home.
Neurodiversity is a concept where neurological differences are to be recognized and respected as any
other human variation. These differences can include those labeled with Dyspraxia, Dyslexia, Attention
Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Autistic Spectrum, Tourette Syndrome, and others.
Now let me explain that I am glad that we did invest so much time, energy, and money in the interventions
that allowed our son to get along in a neurotypical world. We began with weekly speech therapy that
improved his verbal skills and reduced emotional outbursts when he couldn’t make himself understood.
We took occupational therapy to help him find satisfying ways to get proprioceptive stimulation,
eliminating the hand flapping that made him look strange. We experimented with a controversial allergy
treatment that improved his behavior by improving how he felt inside. We invested in another
controversial treatment that adjusted his overly sensitive hearing that allowed him to start using his
hearing normally and be more in tune with the world around him. We homeschooled throughout all of
middle school, breaking the cycle of fight or flight that had plagued his previous school years. All of these
interventions brought him closer to our world and helped him enjoy being a part of it.
On the other hand, some of the Autistic characteristics have turned out to be assets. Jim has an ability
to concentrate and focus that is unmatched. This comes in handy in a musical home and he is able to
go about his business despite the loud rehearsal that is happening in the basement. The social
detachment that comes with Autism keeps Jim’s life drama free. He never gets in a twist about what
someone says or what someone thinks about him. He just lets it go in a way we all wish we could.
And best of all, the repetitive behaviors that doctors label “perseveration” make Jim a fantastic
percussionist. Jim picked up his drumming technique in a single lesson back in 2004 and has been
drumming with our family band ever since. He is able to make the same repetitive motions for hours
during a gig, singing at the same time, without skipping a beat or varying tempo. He is also a strong
rhythm guitar player for the same reason.
Come see for yourself. The Dill Pickers will be performing on the main stage at Apple Blossom on May 3.
Come sing along, dance in the street and say hi to our neurodiverse family.