My Afternoon at the Mall was a Reminder.


I have been living in the world of Autism for a little over 3 years now. I'm a walking autism-wiki, I started a local support group and website, and help tons of families that call for help and resources. Yet I still don't feel some days like I've done enough. Like I've done the most important thing. Educate the people that are not in the Autism world. Educate the ignorant.

Our family's Autism bubble has gotten dramatically better over the years. Physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists, behavioral specialists, TSS, psychologists, doctors. Those are the ones that you expect to help your child. But how about the others in our life? Family, friends, the librarians, the hairdressers, the bank tellers, the diner waitresses, the cashiers, the postal workers. Those people have made just as much of an impact on our life here in our small community. They have embraced my child, and helped him to succeed in everyday social settings. This is all a diversion from my post, but I wanted to make sure you understood that our life of Autism has come a long, long way in 3 years.

Ok, so back to the ignoramuses. You know the ones. They stare. They eye roll. They huff. They whisper. And I, trying to be the better person, the good mom, I ignore. Well today I'm here to tell you I'm done ignoring. I've done it for far too long, and maybe that's part of the problem. Maybe if I would speak up, even to just a handful of people at a time, they will understand more and be less ignorant. I'm not looking for help, compassion, or a pat on the back. Anyone who knows me knows I'd never ask for help unless truly needed. I'm just asking for a simple act of kindess from one parent to another.....one human to another.

April is Autism Awareness Month and a perfect time for me to help the regular ed, typical peer population. So next time you see me coming by you with a 35 pound, kicking, screaming child in a football hold, you can be sure I'm going to clue you in on my little bubble of life.

Comments

  1. khubertMarch 7, 2010 at 1:12 PM

    My first comment was going to be "Hang in there," but then I realized who am I to tell you that.You've been dealing with this a bit longer than I have. I can only imagine what its like and I know our time is coming to deal with the same ignorance. You're absolutely right! People need to be educated and who better to do that than the parent of a child with autism.

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousMarch 7, 2010 at 3:22 PM

    I love that you are doing this. I am ashamed to admit this, but sometimes even I need to hear your message. I was recently in the mall and heard a child screaming for what seemed like 15 full minutes as I shopped. I was thinking unpleasant things about this child, as well as his caretakers. It was truly a physical jolt when I realized that I KNOW BETTER than to be such an ignorant, judgmental fool. I felt like a jerk, and for what it's worth, it was Alex that I was thinking of in my embarrassment.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Patricia TMarch 8, 2010 at 12:30 AM

    Great Post!And while you will educate some,I just want you to know some ignoramuses will always be there no matter what you say.

    ReplyDelete

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