Is verses Has

Autism is a developmental disorder that appears in the first 3 years of life, and affects the brain's normal development of social and communication skills.

Causes, incidence, and risk factors

Autism is a physical condition linked to abnormal biology and chemistry in the brain. The exact causes of these abnormalities remain unknown, but this is a very active area of research. There are probably a combination of factors that lead to autism.
Genetic factors seem to be important. For example, identical twins are much more likely than fraternal twins or siblings to both have autism. Similarly, language abnormalities are more common in relatives of autistic children. Chromosomal abnormalities and other nervous system (neurological) problems are also more common in families with autism.
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Boys are 3-4x more likely than girls to have Autism, and there appears to be a genetic component...so, the thing I've wondered for a long time now is....how'd it bypass my son and my daughter get it?  Not that I'm complaining ('cause I am certainly not), just the numbers seem like they'd be "stacked in his favor" to have it.  

I was just thinking earlier today...Is Faith Autistic? Or does she have Autism?...I'm not really sure which one she'd prefer to be referenced as.  I know some people who are very sensitive about this topic.  I'm generally not one way or the other, but something to think about.  So, as I was thinking about it and "referencing" it in my own head.   The thought struck me, what if she had Downs Syndrome, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson, or something along those lines.  I would say "she has Downs Syndrome, M.S., or Parkinson's".  Not "she is Downs Syndrome, etc."  She is Faith who happens to have Autism.  Although I really think Autism vs. Autistic comes down to the words conjugation, for the most part. 

Oh and I've discovered another "slight pet peeve" of mine now. People saying that they don't play with toys "appropriately".  Who's to say lining up different objects and staring at them repeatedly isn't appropriate?  That's her way of playing.  I mean Angelus and other kids make-shift their toys do all kinds of things that weren't their original intention...and they're said to be using their imagination.  I do believe that's exactly what they are doing.  Maybe this is Faith's imagination too, she could be having people do train rides or something (A LOT).  As long as she isn't throwing things  (generally speaking, I make exceptions for balls and stuff of that nature) I consider that her normal play.

After my pretty black eye got all cleared up, it only took about a month...yesterday after I got her out of the tub she whacked me in the head again...but this time I got a goose-egg right above my other eye.  At this rate I *may* be blind before I'm 40ish.