Autism Awareness Cookies by Cristin's Cookies {Guest Post}

Thank you Kimmie for inviting me to participate in your Autism Awareness project. This is a huge undertaking and I'm so honored to be a part of it. You've always been an inspiration to me in how you raise your son and you adapt so easily to accommodate his needs and all your efforts in helping him to become the young man he is today. Thank you for helping us all to learn about Autism.

My name is Cristin of Cristin's Cookies and I have OCD - Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. I like NEED my projects completed, even if it's 4am and I'm beyond exhausted. I like things to be put away in the same spot. When hubby can't figure out to put the butter in the butter drawer of the refrigerator, it wreaks havoc with my brain. If there is an empty hanger in my closet, then I know my sister has stolen something of mine. In almost every case, I'd rather get something checked off my to do list than do something fun because that IS my kind of fun. I never lose anything because everything in my little world has a place. Are you getting the picture? Think of Sheldon of The Big Bang Theory. I relate to him. Pathetic, but true.

Why do I share this most uncomfortable, most embarrassing side of me? Because I imagine that it may resemble parts of Autism. The truth of the matter is that before I got to know Kimmie, I knew NOTHING about Autism. Last year when I donated my princess cookies for Cookies for iPads, I still knew nothing about Autism. But in getting to know Kimmie this past year, I've learned a little about Autism and how it has effected her son, Collin.

I labored over what kind of cookies to make for this project. I knew it should include a puzzle since that is the symbol for Autism, but Kimmie's puzzle cookies are always so perfect that it felt a little daunting. I'm generally pretty good about doing my own thing and not comparing, so I decided to get out of my own way and make puzzle cookies for Autism Awareness.

The biggest thing I've learned is that Autism is not the same for everyone that has it. My friend, Kristina, posted a picture on Facebook the other day and it pretty much summed it up for me. 

From reading the posts of Kimmie's guest bloggers, I learned that it is much more common for boys to have Autism than girls. Don't I feel silly for sending princess cookies for the fundraiser last year! So I made boy mouse with a puzzle piece cookies

 and girl mouse with a puzzle piece cookies

 and I saw this image on Google and just had to make it into a cookie for Autism Awareness

 and then I made a group of puzzle pieces similar to Kimmie's logo.

 and then I bagged the cookies with a fun rainbow puzzle piece cookie tag. I also shared the cookie tags for your use too. You can download the puzzle cookie tags and personalize them for your own use. Download HERE.

You know what is really weird? Last night when I was finishing up these cookies, I was listening to a movie in the background. It was "Adam". In the movie the boy said he has Asperger's Syndrome. My head popped up in surprise. Weird timing right?

In the movie the girl said in passing to the boy that she couldn't see the stars out her window because the apartment windows were so dirty. The next night, she found him outside a high-rise apartment washing the windows! When she asked what he was doing, he simply said that she had said the windows were dirty. Literal to a fault.

 After I finished all my cookies, my reward was that my little granddaughter Abigail came over to play today!