Any Baby Can's 13th Annual Walk for Autism
- Danny's Dragons

[i][b]Welcome to Danny's Dragons World:[/b]
As you all know Danny has been afflicted with Autism since he was a toddler, his life was perplexed, mostly due to his inability to comprehend and lack of speech (he mostly used echolalia, he began to express some needs at about 8 yo, not always in a verbal manner); Nevertheless, he has come a very long way with the help of God, family, friends and teachers. Each one of us has played an elaborate part in his life. In a special way, we've helped him grow to the young man he is today. Danny is now 14, he's loving and caring also more aware and involved with his surroundings, although, he doesn't always understand, he can now communicate most of his needs and that has minimized his frustrations and uncontrolled anger outbursts. He has become a great artist, he loves to build and draw, mostly dinosaurs and dragons (that's why we are now "Danny's Dragons").
Together we continue to build a path to a more flourishing life, and we strive to assemble a passage for his success. Autism does not affect Danny alone, it impacts our entire family on a day to day basis. There is no medicine or cure for Autism, our strength comes from our [b]Faith in God[/b], and the only treatment is [b]Love and Patience[/b]; However, [u]awareness[/u] has helped to understand that his behaviors are not intensional or "brattiness", they are characteristic of the disorder.
We invite you to join our family in participating in the [b]13th Annual Autism Awareness Walk[/b] on Saturday, [b]April 22, 2017,[/b] at Helotes Cornyval Grounds (12210 Leslie Rd, Helotes).
All the funds raised go directly to "Reaching Families Facing Autism" {RFFA}, a program sponsored by Any Baby Can. This program benefits the San Antonio community suffering from Autism.
Thank you for your support.
The Vasquez Family,
Danny, Diego, Sabrina, Tony & Sandra.
[/i]
[b]What is Autism? [/b]
It is a developmental disability, a neurological disorder that affects the functioning of the brain, impacting development in the areas of social interaction and communication skills. Both children and adults on the autism spectrum typically show difficulties in both verbal and non-verbal communication, social interactions, and leisure or play activities. Autism is a complex neuro-developmental disorder marked by three prominent symptoms, impairments in social interaction, impairments in communication, and repetitive behavior.
Social and Communication Symptoms: Lack of eye contact, difficulty understanding tone of voice and body language as way of expressing sarcasm, humor or irony.
Most of the time, autism is suspected in a child or adult because of deficits or stereotyped differences in social and communication skills. Some examples are: Delayed or unusual speech patterns (many autistic children, for example, memorize video scripts and repeat them word for word with the precise intonation as the TV characters); High pitched or flat intonation, lack of slang or "kidspeak".
While many autistic people have terrific language skills, there are many who have no language at all. In between, are people whose verbal skills are peculiar or odd: They may be perfectly able to talk, but have a difficult time with conversation, small talk, and slang. A majority of autistic people are either hyper or hypo sensitive to light, sound, crowds and other external stimulation. Some have both hyper and hypo sensitivities. This often results in autistic people covering their ears, avoiding or reacting negatively to brightly lit areas, or -- on the other hand -- crashing hard into sofas and craving strong bear hugs. But there's more to it. Other problems are relatively common among autistic people such as seizure disorders, gastrointestinal issues, mental retardation and mental illness. Autism is a spectrum disorder: you can be a little autistic or very autistic, no two people with Autism are the same. They have an extreme need for consistency in their routine; they have a hard time dealing with changes. For the most part people with Autism are often misunderstood and have little or no friends, (Various citations). For more information go to:
[url=http://www.buzzle.com/articles/behavioral-characteristics-of-autism.html]www.buzzle.com/articles/behavioral-characteristics-of-autism.html[/url]

Connect with others about this event and see who's going!

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Contributors on Behalf of Danny's Dragons

1. Jared Clemenshaw, Michael Clemenshaw, Kimberly Clemenshaw - 2 Mile Walk for Autism
2. Dave Pancratz, Kirsten Pancratz, Camille Pancratz - 2 Mile Walk for Autism
3. Melissa Bonnell - Donate to a Fundraising Team
4. Laura Mansour, Thomas Mansour - 2 Mile Walk for Autism
5. Carol Johns - Donate to a Fundraising Team
6. Dylan Frail, Cheryl Frail, David Frail - 2 Mile Walk for Autism
7. John Paul Gonzales, Maria Elisa Gonzales, John Gonzales, Hilda Gonzales - 2 Mile Walk for Autism
8. Sam Santos, AJ Sanchez, Andy Sanchez, Lisa Sanchez - 2 Mile Walk for Autism
9. Connor Havens, Ken Havens - Superhero 5K Run
10. Carly Pancratz - Superhero 5K Run
11. Haidon Sills, Ty Sills, Victoria Sills - 2 Mile Walk for Autism
12. Consuelo Muzquiz, LIzardo Ceballos, Catalina Ayala - 2 Mile Walk for Autism
13. Christine Johnson, Alan Johnson - 2 Mile Walk for Autism
14. Colleen Hale - Donate to a Fundraising Team
15. William O'Rourke - Donate to a Fundraising Team
16. Scott Shreder, Pat Shreder - 2 Mile Walk for Autism
17. Sophia Munoz, Jennifer Ritchey - 2 Mile Walk for Autism
18. Karenna Havens, Corinne Havens - 2 Mile Walk for Autism
19. Luke Westfall, Michelle Westfall - 2 Mile Walk for Autism
20. Suzanne Howarth - 2 Mile Walk for Autism
21. Brandon Johnson - 2 Mile Walk for Autism
22. Diego Vasquez, Sabrina Vasquez, Tony Vasquez, Sandra Vasquez, Danny Vasquez - 2 Mile Walk for Autism
23. Kristen Kohler, Robin Kohler, Kirk Kohler, Kelsey Kohler - 2 Mile Walk for Autism
24. Isabel Anaya, Michael DeVleeschower - 2 Mile Walk for Autism

Danny's Dragons has raised $410.00.
Danny's Dragons has a goal of raising $400.00.

progress: 102.50%