Autism Awareness - Finding a Solution Geocoin - Gio's Geocoin

This coin would like to travel the world educating cachers about Autism and the need for research.

The coin is sent into the world on behalf of a young man and his parents who are living with an Autism spectrum disorder. Please leave your thoughts and any pictures of this coins travels in your log so that I might forward them to this fine young man.

Here is a message from my friend Jessica who is Giovanni's mother. As of April 2008 Gio is a happy active 13 year old boy.  Through much hard work he is doing much better than what we were originally told to expect from him 12 years ago.  We found out he had Autism on February 14th 1996 and on this date that the meaning of "true love" really took on a whole new meaning for us.  We were told that he would not speak and yet now we can't get him to stop, we were told that he would not show us love and yet Giovanni is a very affectionate kid, many things that we were told not to expect Gio has surpassed beyond any expectation.  We live and breath for our son and everything we do is to make sure that he will have a good future.   Giovanni plays the piano and does competitive swimming with a swim team of non disabled kids.  He is currently attending Jr. High in a school in Fremont, California, he attends a special day class.  He should be a true inspiration to all of us and show us all that hard work and perseverance always pays off.
                                                           

For more information see

http://www.autismspeaks.org/ or http://www.autism-society.org
                                                          
Autism is a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life and affects a person’s ability to communicate and interact with others. Autism is defined by a certain set of behaviors and is a "spectrum disorder" that affects individuals differently and to varying degrees. There is no known single cause for autism, but increased awareness and funding can help families today.
Know the Signs: Early Identification Can Change Lives.
Autism is treatable. Children do not "outgrow" autism, but studies show that early diagnosis and intervention lead to significantly improved outcomes.

Here are some signs to look for in the children in your life:
Lack of or delay in spoken language.
Repetitive use of language and/or motor mannerisms (e.g., hand-flapping, twirling objects).
Little or no eye contact.
Lack of interest in peer relationships.
Lack of spontaneous or make-believe play.
Persistent fixation on parts of objects.