Finding out that your child has autism or any of the other autism spectrum disorders is hard for any parent. No matter what your life experience and circumstances are, it is not an easy thing to hear from a doctor, "Your child has autism, aspergers syndrome, or PDD." For many parents they then embark on a journey of understanding, awareness, stress and overwhelm in order to attempt to find out, how can I best serve my child?
Here are 10 things that I believe your child would tell you if they could. While even higher functioning children can talk many of them do not realize what they should say or they fail to communicate correctly with their parents until it is too late.
1. Get me a diagnosis as early in life as you can. The older I am when you finally face the facts about my situation, the worse off I will be. I need help from professionals, my school and from you, and I cannot get it properly, if you do not know what my diagnosis is.
2. Avoid wishing that I would be cured, that I was "normal" or that I didn't have autism. Autism is simply a condition that I have but autism does not define me nor is it the end of the world or the end of my life for me nor should it be for you.
3. If you know I can do something, even if it is hard for me, make me do it. I need to learn to do whatever I can do so I can be more functional as an adult, so even if I have a meltdown, it is important that I do whatever tasks I can.
4. Be positive for my sake. I know its easy to be negative and to look at all the things you think I might not be able to do, but please be as positive as possible. You cannot predict the future so please don't try by being negative and gloomy.
5. Don't blame yourself for my autism. Even if you think its genetics, vaccines or whatever else you think may have been avoided, it is not your fault as a parent.
6. Always strive to do what is best for me even if it contradicts with what a doctor says. Listen to the advice of doctors but realize that many of them do not know me as well as you do as my mom or dad. You know me better and can help me the best.
7. Do whatever you can to get me the therapy and help I need. Realize that you may have to put the whole family on a special diet and yes it will require work and it may not be convenient but I will be much better off and it will be worth it.
8. Avoid developing the thinking that because I may be low functioning or have a lot of problems right now that I will be that way forever. Many children if they get the help they need become high functioning adults who in many cases you can't even tell they ever had autism. Have hope.
9. Despite any of my weaknesses, I still have strengths and gifts. Find out what they are and encourage me to use them and develop them.
10. Never stop learning and exploring new ways to help me and to make my life better.
If you do all of these things you will be an amazing parent for me and chances are great that I will not only be a functioning adult but I will thrive and you will be proud to have me as your child.
AnnaLaura Brown is a high functioning adult who works as a librarian and has her own home business. Diagnosed in the 80's as being on the autism spectrum, she is lucky enough to have had amazing parents and to have received the help she needed to not only survive but thrive. She is committed to reaching out and to helping other parents see that their is hope and help for their children on the autism spectrum. Check out her blog to learn more at http://www.aspectrumofhope.com
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
0 comments:
Post a Comment