This is a topic that is very near and dear to my heart. At our core, we all want to be accepted and loved.
In light of World Autism Month, I decided to post the following:
Why I would choose it all again
"We want a world where all people living with autism get to lead the life they choose" - www.autism.org.uk
I'm the mommy of a special needs child. It's a world of unknowns, stigma, judgement, fear and the celebration of things other parents take for granted. It's trying to educate others while having no clear answers yourself. It's doing the utmost to protect a child who is largely rejected and misunderstood by world standards. It's having your parenting skills constantly under scrutiny. So why, given the choice, would I choose to be a mom to a high functioning special needs child again? My son lives in a fascinating world, I love seeing the world through his eyes. He has an incredibly high IQ, at the age of 5, he was already asking me questions that challenged me intellectually. I have probably learnt more in his short life than I have in all my formative years. The best part of my day, is my son reading a book to me in the evenings. This is when we simply get to "be". I adore my boy; he has the sweetest heart and his quiet fight every day inspires me. Life is difficult for him and I don't think I even fully realise to what extent. Yet every morning he gets up and faces his challenges. So who am I to complain about anything. Only when we are thrown from our comfort zones, do we grow as a person. I've learnt to surrender it all to God, like no other time in my life. For those looking for answers surrounding Autism Spectrum Disorder, there are very few. The more I research the more I realise that we simply don't know. I've had to let go of the "picture" I had in my mind of what I thought parenting would be like and also many of the dreams I had for my kid. That said, the reality, despite the challenges, has been far better than any picture I could ever have imagined. My child and I have experienced some amazing adventures together. Only someone who has a special needs child will ever truly understand. My challenge to others would be to enter the world of a special needs child. While this takes time as they have to learn to trust you first, it is so worth it. Leave preconceived ideas at the door of what kids should be or what you think special needs kids are like. As we continue to fight the existing resistance in a mainstream school and to change the mindset against higher functioning special needs kids, we celebrate the small victories along the way. ASD kids are not broken; they are different, they don't need to be fixed; they need to be supported.
Photo by Johnny Cohen on Unsplash
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