Having a child diagnosed with autism is both a blessing and at the same time, difficult.
It is a blessing because with all the communication, social skills and behavioral issues (here is an example) that they have to go through, they learn about making sacrifices, putting aside their own dreams to be able to spend time with their child, having tons of patience and will power to make things better. Struggling through daily tasks which could be done in a breeze if it weren’t for the autism in the child are endured.
Tears fall. What-ifs are asked. Stares and back talks if not ignored, break their hearts. Help is sought.
Hopes are sometimes perked up by the small steps to progress.
At times, one step of progress that is observed is gone when several back steps happen. What has been seen as progress would be done all over again.
Not all is lost though, for parents develop better attitudes and they themselves know themselves better. In the end they could either come out as a stronger person.
Or having a defeated spirit.
Why? Because there is an “ugly” side to these struggles in the form of instances where the children are discriminated upon, and their parents too. Doubly so.
They are judged as incompetent parents, not being able to discipline their children. The children are judged to be stubborn, unruly, misbehaving and impolite.
Simple tasks like going to church, going to the park, asking for help, and completion of activities for daily living like eating or dressing up are struggles.
What much more does it take to have them do more complicated tasks like walking down the crowded streets, schooling, taking a bus ride, taking a plane ride to go somewhere far, the possibility of taking Caribbean cruises or even dealing with death and grief?
Perhaps the most difficult question to give an answer to is when parents ask “Who will take care of my child(ren) with Autism when I die?”
This entry was posted on Thursday, July 3rd, 2008 at 2:04 pm and is filed under Autism, behavior modification, Information, special education. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
