The Reality of Autism Awareness ~ A Mother's Voice

Welcome friend and Author of "My name is Ryan And I Have Autism", Rachel Leyden.

Here we are in April: “Autism Awareness Day/Month”. I appreciate the accolades that we get (for the month of April) but I wish it was all year round. It’s not really delving into the realness of what most autism parents live with day in and day out.

The reality of Autism disorder goes much further than the stories you see on TV like James Durbin who sang on American Idol or the Andrew Jenks documentary about the twenty year old “high functioning” Autistic. Autism is not just a disorder but a lifestyle. What many people don’t see on TV are the sleepless nights, the horrific meltdowns in public or the constant struggle to keep them safe because they have no awareness of danger.  Autism is called a “Spectrum” because there are many degrees of it from severe to high functioning & everything in-between.  The extreme high functioning autistic are the ones you probably hear most about. The mid-range to severe are the ones you don’t hear too much about.

My son Ryan

When my son, Ryan was first diagnosed I didn’t know what Autism was or the fact that THERE IS NO CURE (at least not yet). My husband & I were left to explore the world of Autism alone. There was no one knocking at our door to guide us. We had to seek out help & in the process lost friends because we had no time for anyone else in our chaotic world.

What people don’t realize is that when you have a child with Autism you have to re-structure your life to accommodate the disorder and the changes that come with it. We have to live with MANY sleepless nights & behavioral issues because of other disorders attached to Autism like Sensory Processing Disorder (in our case Ryan has sensitivity to light & sound) which makes it a challenge to take him to public places.

My Beautiful Children

My husband & I have accepted the fact that we will NEVER be able to take a vacation (alone). The extent of our alone time is when Ryan is in school and we can go out for a nice lunch. We’ve accepted our new lifestyle. So when April comes rolling around & I hear about “Autism Awareness” I say: we are aware of it 365 days a year.

 Rachel Leyden is an author and a retired NYC Police Sergeant.  Rachel was born and raised in New York City. She graduated with a B.A in Forensic Psychology and is a mother of four. She has learned about autism by attending various autism seminars & classes offered in Orange County, New York. Although not an autism "expert" Rachel is passionate about autism education and helping typical families with simple ideas just to make daily living a little easier. She considers herself an expert with HER son's autism and encourages everyone who has a child with a disability to "become your child's expert" Rachel continues to educate herself about autism and helping others overcome their daily struggles. She lives in Orange County, New York with her husband, children and three dogs.


One in 88 children are diagnosed with autism.  One in 88 is so scary!  When Ryan was first diagnosed it was 1 in 150! I'm scared for our children and grandchildren. :( ~ Rachel Leyden

The book "My Name is Ryan and I Have Autism" by Rachel Leyden is available on
 Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

Editors' Note:  We want to thank Rachel for giving us a glimpse inside the Autism world.  Wishing Rachel and her family the very best.  Much success with your book.  We know the book will shed light on to those parents that are looking for some guidance with an autistic child.  Bravo to you my beautiful friend!!!