Saturday, May 16, 2015

Say Yes, Even If It's Easier To Say No.


    Getting an autism diagnosis is a an emotional event to the fullest. You learn a lot about people in general and typically a time line of things happen. Your emerged in paperwork, advice, judgment, decisions, and yes you really do discover who your friends are. Going out in public is hard and people are either kind or extremely rude but most people stare no matter what. They might stare out of curiosity or can relate but say nothing or they might stare because they think your child is out of control. Either way all autism parents experience these things and we all know how it feels. Parents who aren't raising a child with autism experience a cranky child in public too but one way to relate is to imagine that event happening all the time and with no way to stop it with cranky turning to terror over something kids can typically ignore like a door shutting loudly.

    My advice to a new autism parent wouldn't be how to cope with these events but to say, do not let these things stop you. Don't allow what happens to keep you from leaving the house and trying again. Don't let rude looks dictate your right to never give up and don't let the word autism keep you confined to your home afraid to challenge the idea it holds you back.  Don't let lack of awareness and judgmental strangers keep you from helping your child to experiencing life as a child should be allowed to do. Yes, you will have times you will never want to return to a place because the last time was a nightmare but go back on a good day. Yes, you will have times someone will be cruel and ignorant but next time you might encounter kindness and awareness, go back. Yes, you might have to leave shortly after arriving but next time maybe you will get to stay a bit longer. Yes, you might end up in the middle of the zoo with a child screaming for an hour because his or sock is wet but go back again, with extra socks and the belief it might work this time.

   Routine is a powerful element and when living with autism routine is mandatory but that may not always mean limiting routine. Sometimes expanding routine can become routine. Last summer I made the decision isolation and avoiding was bad for us. I had given up on changes but the main reason was fear of those changes and what went wrong so many times. The fear of how autism would clash with changes left us with a life on lock down and it wasn't doing either of us any favors. Easier, yes but good for us...no.

   So new autism parents need to remember you didn't give your child autism and your child didn't ask for it. You have a right to experience life just as anyone else does. It's just not going to come easy and your going to have to fight for it, but it's worth the fight and it's worth creating a routine that involves stretching routine even if it's just a little at a time. The end result will bring moments it works and breaching the walls of your home on occasion to enjoy life. Your child requires a different way of parenting and a different understanding. You will learn the limits and you will learn how and when it's okay to stretch the limits. Most important, it's not your job to appease judgment or create comfort to strangers who know nothing about what they see, it's your job to fight for those moments it works. That doesn't mean you need to say yes to everything but it does mean saying yes when it might just be easier to say no.