Discrmination

I started this blog because I was inspired by fellow A Bloggers like Kristina Chew and 29 Marbles. They rock! I have learned a lot about their unique perspectives. I am no writer compared to these two professionals. But hey, ya gotta throw it out there and hope no one winces.

My website is still intact and up, the very long long long Intervention Summary and articles written by me, the Crazy Old Lady That Lives in the Woods. Well, I AM 40 going on 41. An exercise in perspective taking I guess would make this old or not.

One of the biggest challenges I have as an Autism parent is that I find it difficult to find support from other parents. If you are, or know of a parent with a recovered child - I'd love to talk with them, to find support.

I am an Autism parent, no different than anyone else. We all have unique situations and we all do things differently. This discrimination makes me lonely at times for others to talk to about my issues. I talk about more of this on original site. As a parent of a recovered child, many people always have gobs to say against me and my family. Others think I'm the be-all-end-all, others think I have all the answers.

It's hurtful to be misunderstood. The assumptions people make about what I think about various factions of Autism are hurtful and incorrect. People assume I advocate for a cure, for our children to be fixed. That I reject Autism.

Quite the contrary is true. I don't go crazy over NAAR or CAN or any other gene "factions". I can only think of what's in front of me - countless ASD kids NOT getting the therapy they deserve or paid for. I think all bread should be buttered, but the preference when it comes to resources should go to treating the children we have NOW. It's a crisis, a pandemic for God's sake!

For the record, I am PRO-Autism. I am pro all things human, no matter how the come packaged. I embrace all factions of Autism - I think it's people's own business how they conduct their lives. The choices they make for themselves, for their children, are their own to make. We have no business judging other parents for their choices. We all do things differently.

I love my child. Autism is a part of who he is, only a part. I adore the parts that make him unique, the good parts that celebrate the differences in humanity. I don't like the parts that make/made life challenging for Leo, that caused stress or anxiety, that kept him from doing the things he wanted to do. Isn't that the goal of ANY parent?

My intent is to raise awareness about the existence of the HF mainstreamed child and their challenges. For those that are quick to make false assumptions - this doesn't exclude those that reside along other parts of the spectrum, since the whole point is that all kids on the spectrum are kids on the spectrum, each unique with their own challenges and gifts and outcomes. I'm sure I've forgotten other disclaimers and caveats, so please, I hope people read this with an open mind.

A child that is HF and can be mainstreamed is the area of my expertise by default, which is why all I write about or recommend is based on my experience. I think we are all experts when it comes to our direct experience from home, don't ya think?

While our kids may function on different parts of the Autism spectrum, what unites us all is the love we feel for them, and the deepest desire in every parent that their child can enter adulthood equipped with skills to succeed in life. Let our love unite us, not divide us. We all need to be supported.