April 2019
The aim of this month is educate the public about autism. Autism is a complex mental condition and developmental disability, characterized by difficulties in the way a person communicates and interacts with other people. Autism can be present from birth or form during early childhood (typically within the first three years). Autism is a lifelong developmental disability with no single known cause.
1a. Just a Thought
A – Always
U – Unique
T – Totally
I – Interesting
S – Sometimes
M – Mysterious
1b. The First Autism Awareness Month
2. Month of the Military Child
April is the Month of the Military Child. This awareness month was established to underscore the important role children play in the Armed Forces community. I was a military brat. My father was in the Navy as a tail gunner and then transferred to the Air Force. My father did that to be able to spend more time with us and because he did not want to leave the military. My father retired as a CMSgt with 39 years. Being in the Navy he traveled much more. There are approximately 2 million military children, ranging in ages from newborn to 18 years old; 1.3 million military children are school-aged. Care of military children sustains our fighting force, and strengthens the health, security, and safety of our nation’s families and communities. The Network offers special thanks to all the NCTSN sites that provide care and support for our military children and families. To find out more about military children and families click here.
Military children are our nation’s children. Living in either military or civilian communities, in urban, suburban, or rural settings, military children experience unique challenges related to military life and culture. These include deployment-related stressors such as parental separation, family reunification, and reintegration. Due to frequent moves, many military children experience disrupted relationships with friends, and must adapt to new schools and cultivate new community resources. Some children also experience the trauma of welcoming home a parent who returns with a combat injury or illness, or of facing a parent’s death. Recent research reveals an increase in military child maltreatment and neglect since the start of combat operations and deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq.
This is a very important topic to me because my nephew has Asperger’s. Asperger’s syndrome, also called Asperger’s disorder, is a type of pervasive developmental disorder (PDD). PDDs are a group of conditions that involve delays in the development of many basic skills, most notably the ability to socialize with others, to communicate, and to use imagination.
3a. People who have Asperger’s.
4. Parkinson’s Awareness Month and World Day.
To coincide with World Parkinson’s Day, Parkinson’s Awareness Month is an awareness initiative held in Canada and the United States each year (other countries may also support this event).
In Canada, the major supporting organization for this event is Parkinson Society Canada, and, in the United States, it is the American Parkinson Disease Association.
Raising public awareness about Parkinson’s disease is very important. Although there are no official statistics, Parkinson’s disease is thought to affect over 1,000,000 people in the United States.
5. Earth Day
Earth Day is an annual event, celebrated on April 22, on which day events worldwide are held to demonstrate support for environmental protection. It was first celebrated in 1970, and is now coordinated globally by the Earth Day Network, and celebrated in more than 192 countries each year.
April 5 has been designated Gold Star Wives Day to allow America to pay respect to the spouses and families of fallen members of the U.S. armed forces.
The spouses and families of fallen service members have sacrificed so much and to recognize these sacrifices, the Senate passed a resolution to designate Gold Star Wives Day.
The Senate resolution states military service members and veterans “bear the burden of protecting the freedom of the people of the United States, and the sacrifices of the families of the fallen members and veterans of the armed forces of the United States should never be forgotten.”
Military children are our nation’s children. Living in either military or civilian communities, in urban, suburban, or rural settings, military children experience unique challenges related to military life and culture. These include deployment-related stressors such as parental separation, family reunification, and reintegration. Due to frequent moves, many military children experience disrupted relationships with friends, and must adapt to new schools and cultivate new community resources. Some children also experience the trauma of welcoming home a parent who returns with a combat injury or illness, or of facing a parent’s death. Recent research reveals an increase in military child maltreatment and neglect since the start of combat operations and deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq.
8. National Titanic Remembrance Day.
Each year on April 15th, National Titanic Remembrance Day is observed. This day is dedicated to the memory of when the Titanic sank into the icy waters of the North Atlantic Ocean in April, 1912. We remember the more than 1,500 people who died that day.
Known as the “the unsinkable ship”, the Titanic hit an iceberg at 11:40 pm April 14, 1912, on her maiden voyage from England to New York City. Later, in the icy waters of the Atlantic Ocean, on April 15, 1912 the Titanic sank, along with those passengers still aboard that had been unable to escape, due to the insufficient amount of lifeboats on-board the ship.
There have been a few movies made about this subject. Most recently Titanic starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet.
the crafty lady in combat boots 