Wednesday 2 April 2014

International Autism Day or Whatever

I tend to hold back.

I feel like I don't really have much to complain about.

All around the world are kids who don't talk, who have rages, who will need support their entire lives. Who are actually disabled.

And ALL I have is a young man with Asperger's. Who is a joy. Who is so intelligent, a genius even. Who I rely upon.

How can I even hold my head up in the community of parents dealing with Autism, with their anxieties and struggles?

Out there are families with kids who they worry about day and night. What will become of him? What if anything happens to me? He seems so troubled.

My son cooks perfect French pastry and asks me for the definition of the word "disingenuous" so he can start another novel.

I feel like I don't have anything to complain about, maybe I don't even have anything to say.

I ENJOY him. We discuss Magritte. We discuss exoplanets.

When asked about what it's like to live with an autistic older child, I squirm. I feel like a fraud.

And then I remember....yeah.

He turns 21 next month and I have to help him cross busy streets. He's unemployable.






Autism awareness?

I'm not sure it does ANYTHING.

But if you care, and I'm sure you do.....try to understand the WHOLE of this.

They ain't all Rainman.

Thanks.


3 comments:

  1. Shared, with thanks ~ Blessings! :)

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  2. Well said. My daughter recently broke up with a wonderful young man who would have made (IMO) a perfect son-in-law. He also has Asperger's syndrome (if the diagnosis was correct, which I wonder. He had a truly magnificent online rapport with her, but was very withdrawn and solitary IRL).

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  3. They ain't all Rainman but that doesn't mean those same worries don't exist.

    ReplyDelete