Our Autism Story

Our Youngest Daughter Livia is born on the 26th of March 2011 with a whopping 3.9 kilo (8lb 9oz).
We were over the moon with our little wonder, and Sofia ( her one year older sister) was so happy to have a real-life doll in the house!

Livia was always a happy baby and seemed to develop normally, meeting her developmental milestones with no apparent issues.
But that all changed after about 12-18 months when we began to notice that she was somewhat delayed in several areas. For example; not pointing at items or waving at people, not wanting to interact with anybody, not making any sounds or imitating in any way.
She was in her own little world. We didn´t panic straight away as she was (and still is) very young, so we decided to wait a bit with searching for professional help and the ensuing tests.

However as time went by our concern grew and we decided to let our babygirl undergo the tests.
Almost straight away there it was - a diagnosis. After just a couple of sessions, and only 2 years old, she got diagnosed. It was very clear for her psychologists - and to us. Livia has Autism!

Autism explained in a nutshell:

Autism ( also commonly known as Autism Spectrum Disorder or simply ASD) is a neurological disorder that affects communication, motor skills, social interaction, behavior, and more. Neurological disorders are in relation to the nerves of the nervous system. But autism is also in relation to the brain, Autism can include intellectual challenge but studies have proven that many people with autism are not less intelligent, but rather they are unable to express themselves. It is defined as a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life and is the result of a neurological disorder that affects the normal functioning of the brain, impacting developmental areas of social interaction and communication skills.

Livia the happy girl:

Livia is now 3,5 years old and still a very happy girl! She always has this adorable smile on her face.
She is non-verbal (which means she can´t talk yet), but hums her way through the day!
Apart from singing (humming), she loves to dance, sit on her sisters bike, ´read´ all books available, swimming and playing with blocks. She and we as her parents have some challenges to overcome now and in the future , and we do that day by day with full positiviness.

She just started preschool a couple of months ago and likes it a lot.
In the past she got twice a week therapy , but now she falls under another entity and is only allowed once every two weeks. This is obviously not enough so she is getting once a week private therapy.

Why do I want to tell this story?

About twenty years ago autism was considered a rare condition.
But in this day and age autism is not a rare condition anymore as approx. 1 in 88 children receive the diagnosis. So you can see that the numbers alone of individuals with autism heightens awareness.

For many conditions is awareness and donations the key to promote early prognoses.
But what does that exactly mean for Autism?

• Awareness helps the general public gain a better understanding of Autism.
• Dispels common misconceptions about Autism.
• Family members, friends and caregivers of people with Autism can participate in activities to show their support for their loved ones.
• Events and related activities van raise money for Autism programs.
• Public understanding and support can lead to larger goals such as helpful programs and funding for research.
• Develop an environment of understanding, tolerance and acceptance.

As you can see in the above lost , funding is a very important part of autism awareness. Especially to gain more therapies and knowledge about the diagnosis.

Therefor I decided that i will donate 20% of everything I sell on Sofivia to Autism.

I choose in specific our local support group for people with Autism TOT PER TU.

Tot per Tu means in catalan ´All for you´.

They are a support group from parents to parents and their children with Autism.

They main objective is to provide therapies and activities with profesionals who help children who have significant cognitive and communication difficulties.

If you like more information regarding Tot per Tu, please contact me here.
You also can check their facebook site or twitter account.