Speak LOUDLY: Introducing My Contributors!

In case you haven't seen it on Twitter or Facebook, there is an awareness event going on centered around a Communication Shutdown today, November 1st.  The premise is a good one:  In order to illustrate the social and communication challenges that people with Autism face, they are asking everyone to stop using Facebook and Twitter for one day.  Today.

Many people with Autism disagree with this idea.  Saying that they have earned the right to communicate, and that since their voices need to be heard, they will not be silenced.  Their movement is SPEAK LOUDLY.

I am my children's best advocate.  I personally feel as though my voice and my writing is the best tool I have for sharing their struggles, connecting families, and ultimately raising awareness.

So, here on Hartley's Life With 3 Boys, we are doing what we do best:  SPEAKING.

It is with great excitement and enthusiasm that on this day I have the honor of introducing the first ever contributors to Hartley's Life With 3 Boys -- four women who have agreed to share their journey with Sensory Processing Disorder, Autism, Special Needs and all that life has given them, in the spirit of connection and awareness.  There is more on each new writer under About Us, but here is a peek at how these women have already been SPEAKING LOUDLY.

Alysia Butler
Try Defying Gravity
Our Lips Are Sealed -- "...Fast forward to last year when we started to really notice that things were a little different with Howie.  As I’ve said before we knew for a while that something was going on with him, but when he started preschool we could really see that he needed help.  My privacy instincts kicked in immediately, and while we were waiting to get him evaluated I kept our whole story to myself...Read more

Caitlin Wray
Welcome to Normal
Second Thoughts -- "...So I’ve had a few days to let the diagnosis set in. A little time to do some reading on Aspergers. And as much as this diagnosis brings a whole new dimension to understanding Simon and how he experiences the world… it also takes me right back to where I was back in September before any of the diagnoses, trying to reconcile the need to fit Simon into a school ‘system’, while allowing him to be uniquely himself..."  Read more

Michelle Wood
She's Always Write
Diagnostic Limbo -- "...Bottom line, his SPD and his dramatic social delays made him appear to be on the spectrum, so it was impossible to rule out.  But this was after 6 months of speech therapy and occupational therapy and behavior therapy and he's made such tremendous progress it was reasonable to suspect there were other reason for his social delays... " Read more

Patty Porch
Pancakes Gone Awry
Sixth Sense -- "Danny woke up screaming. This had happened before and was starting to worry me. Bil and I had no idea what was wrong; nothing we did seemed to ease Danny's distress. We tried gas drops and Tylenol, teething drops and singing. We tried holding him and caressing him, but he would just arch his back away from my hands. My very touch appeared to hurt him physically...." Read More

*Round of applause*

If you want to connect with me today, you can find me on The Coffee Klatch's Communicate to Educate event, moderating the Tweetchat from 1pm-2:30pm PST -- you can login here (remember to set your refresh speed to 5 seconds!).

The rest of 2010 is going to be filled with amazing new articles, some incredible giveaways (I so wish I could tell you already!), holiday guides, gift giving tips, and of course, the announcement of the new set of First Things First writers for 2011.  Hold on friends, this is going to be a SENSATIONAL ride!

H