We don't watch a whole lot of Oprah, so catching the show last night on Astro was a lucky fluke for both Angah and me, for the topic was 'Autism'. The guest speakers were Jenny McCarthy and Holly Robinson Peete (of 21 Jump Street). They were not there as stars or celebrities, but as mothers who have a child with autism, Jenny's Evan, and Holly's RJ.I am familiar with Jenny, as I have read her book entitled "Louder Than Words", telling of her experience with Evan. Indeed, last night's show focused a lot on this book (more about the book later). But I didn't know about Holly and RJ, so I was interested to hear her speak. She shared her feelings, how she overcame her personal dissappointment, how important it is for families to work together to help the child with autism.
Something she said that I think is important is this - don't call the child "autistic kid". When you say it that way, people will focus on 'autistic' as if the child is inflicted with some terrible contagious disease, and with such negative vibes, people won't be able to appreciate the child. Instead, say "child with autism". This way, you focus on the child first, and then only his condition. It sounds more positive, don't you think so?
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