Have you had days where you feel like you are way too tired to deal with Autism? What about days where you are so burned out on going to doctors that you want to boycott the entire medical profession? Maybe you feel like if your child receives one more diagnosis you will need to buy a medical dictionary just to understand it all. I have been there. Actually, I am there most days.
I just want to encourage you weary parents to keep on fighting for your children. It took eight years for me to get a diagnosis for my oldest son. Eight years! We have seen several doctors in three different cities who did not catch the Asperger’s. Now we are waiting for academic testing for I.Q., information processing, and a host of other learning problems. It seems that it’s a never-ending process trying to find answers to endless questions.
I want to encourage all parents out there to keep on fighting. Keep on searching for answers to your questions. Keep on looking for the right doctor, therapist, etc. who will meet your child’s needs. Keep on researching. Keep on learning. I believe that we are parents of special-needs kids for a reason. I don’t know about you but I am stubborn, hard-headed, determined, and I don’t like settling for second best when it comes to my kids. I believe that my husband and I are just the parents my kids need because we both have these attributes. Our kids in the Autism Spectrum and with other disabilities need parents who are willing to fight for our children’s needs and who will not settle for less than the best.
I know you get weary—I do, too. I know there are days when you just want to pull the covers up over your head and say, “I’m sorry but I’m not dealing with meltdowns, food aversions, sensory issues, or any other problem today!” It’s on those days that we need to dig down deep into ourselves and tap into that reserve of strength and determination we’ve been hanging on to for a rainy day. As I said before, I go to God for what I need and then I use it as I face my day.
It’s almost like suiting up for a football game: you get your uniform on, make sure you have your protective gear on underneath (You can take that figuratively and literally. LOL!), and get your game face on. Unfortunately, we rarely get time-outs and there’s no such thing as half-time during our days. The game always runs into overtime and, if we’re lucky, we score the game-winning touchdown with seconds left on the clock when we finally get our kids into bed.
Some of you may laugh at my analogy but I imagine a lot of you can relate to these descriptions. Please, don’t give up the fight. There are resources available and people who want to support you. You are the only true advocate your child has on his/her side. You can make a difference. Everything you do will help your child, even though it may not seem to at the time. No effort is wasted, no phone call insignificant, no conversation irrelevant.
It’s time to suit up for the game. Are you ready?
I just want to encourage you weary parents to keep on fighting for your children. It took eight years for me to get a diagnosis for my oldest son. Eight years! We have seen several doctors in three different cities who did not catch the Asperger’s. Now we are waiting for academic testing for I.Q., information processing, and a host of other learning problems. It seems that it’s a never-ending process trying to find answers to endless questions.
I want to encourage all parents out there to keep on fighting. Keep on searching for answers to your questions. Keep on looking for the right doctor, therapist, etc. who will meet your child’s needs. Keep on researching. Keep on learning. I believe that we are parents of special-needs kids for a reason. I don’t know about you but I am stubborn, hard-headed, determined, and I don’t like settling for second best when it comes to my kids. I believe that my husband and I are just the parents my kids need because we both have these attributes. Our kids in the Autism Spectrum and with other disabilities need parents who are willing to fight for our children’s needs and who will not settle for less than the best.
I know you get weary—I do, too. I know there are days when you just want to pull the covers up over your head and say, “I’m sorry but I’m not dealing with meltdowns, food aversions, sensory issues, or any other problem today!” It’s on those days that we need to dig down deep into ourselves and tap into that reserve of strength and determination we’ve been hanging on to for a rainy day. As I said before, I go to God for what I need and then I use it as I face my day.
It’s almost like suiting up for a football game: you get your uniform on, make sure you have your protective gear on underneath (You can take that figuratively and literally. LOL!), and get your game face on. Unfortunately, we rarely get time-outs and there’s no such thing as half-time during our days. The game always runs into overtime and, if we’re lucky, we score the game-winning touchdown with seconds left on the clock when we finally get our kids into bed.
Some of you may laugh at my analogy but I imagine a lot of you can relate to these descriptions. Please, don’t give up the fight. There are resources available and people who want to support you. You are the only true advocate your child has on his/her side. You can make a difference. Everything you do will help your child, even though it may not seem to at the time. No effort is wasted, no phone call insignificant, no conversation irrelevant.
It’s time to suit up for the game. Are you ready?
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