World Autism Awareness Day is just over four weeks away. How are you preparing? In my house, I'll start bringing out my exterior blue light bulbs and hanging the Autism Awareness ribbon garden flag in a couple of weeks. I'll get my Highlight It Up Blue hair extensions and wear my button on my jacket.

Whether it's as an employee or a parent, do you ever wonder, "Am I really making an impact? Is the effort I'm giving returning anything?" I know when my children were younger and I was home with them, some of those days seemed awfully long. I'd change my shirt for the third time that day because it smelled like the more unpleasant of baby scents and recall with longing the kudos of a client who appreciated a job well done. I began to wonder what my life would be like once my children were in school full-time and I could return to "work".

In 10 days, on Thursday, January 9, 2014, at 10 a.m., some 500 teachers, students, administrators, community stakeholders, and cast members will gather at Cushing Elementary in Delafield, Wis., to see the "We ALL Fit" music video by The Figureheads for the first time. Following the world premiere event, the video will be available on YouTube and the single (featuring Noelle Budde, Evelyn Barta, and Regan Carter) will be available through online music outlets. Like our Facebook page to get the links after the premiere.

My son with autism is nearly 15 years old. When things start buzzing around Christmastime, he has a guarded enthusiasm. He loves to bring out the movies of the season, but isn't so excited about how much changes around the house. So it was especially beautiful when he stopped on Saturday morning and noticed ornaments on our tree. He found the ones that had meaning to him, and pushed buttons on those with sound effects. It was good to see him enjoy things on his terms.

Being the eldest of six children had its advantages when growing up. Until ALL of my younger siblings eventually surpassed me in height, I could often see things before they could: the first snow falling outside our window, the next float coming down the parade route, the favorite animal exhibit at the zoo. Invariably, one of my brothers or sisters would shout out, exasperated, "I want to see!" Then we'd step back, or bring one of the little ones up higher so he or she could get a better look.

As a parent of two children with autism spectrum disorder, and as a professional who's spent the last six years working toward autism acceptance in schools, I found Suzanne Wright's blog posting, "Autism Speaks Point of View" for last week, incredibly offensive. Apparently, so did hundreds of others, whose comments at first were allowed on the website just below the posting. Those have since been removed and comments are no longer recorded (there).