Kelly Seeks

A dad creates a reading app for his Autistic daughter– Parents are making milestone happen for they own kids more and more. It’s sad to me thinking that there still are hole in therapy, resources and assistance. So much so we as parent have to step up and take that task upon ourselves. But sometimes I think that’s why I was given my children. Because someone knew instead of crying at all the little things that don’t make them “normal”, I’d just laugh and smile at them. To me they are normal. This is our normal.

Props to all those parents out there who stand up and fight for their children, who create apps and materials because there are none and who love their children unconditionally.

I have a friend who shared recently one of the most heart touching insights into being the mother of a ASD child. With her permission I am gonna share it with you (grab your tissues)-

“As I lay in the bed trying to fall asleep, I find mysslf stressing over the upcoming school year. I constantly worry about C being the new kid. I worry if he will have to endure the bullying he did the last few months in Hawaii. I wonder if it’ll be worse. I’ve found myself pushing him to be “normal” often out of my own fear. I’m constantly reminding him about talking to himself, making silly faces, playing with his hands, and the list goes on. I know that many of these things are autism related but still I push him to be normal. The reality is, he is NOT normal….he’s EXCEPTIONAL! Through all his quirks, he’s the first kid to help someone. When kids bullied him, he forgave them because “God says we should forgive”. He is always respectful. He always says ma’am/sir. He’s nearly been hit by a car trying to help a lady who’s bag flew into the street. He believes he should always be a gentlemen. When I ask him why is he always Happy, his answer is “because I have a lot to be Happy about”. The fact of the matter is, he is not normal. Those qualities/traits make him better. They make him stronger. They make him a young man wise beyond his years. I challenge all parents who have a child who isn’t considered “normal” to post about your EXCEPTIONAL child. Share with the world who they are and not what some feel they should be.”

Reading again, I still cry. I often “pick” on my kids when their quirks come out in public. I have even yelled at them and put them in time out. I often forget they have ASD. It’s a hard realization to face for any parent that your child is not similar to others. I want my kids to fit in and act socially acceptable. I don’t know why I do the things that I do.

But it’s not right. I took me a while to stop stressing and getting upset over their stems. Hubs has a harder time with it still. I think men are conditioned different than women. What Hubs sees is failure. That he (Hubs) could possibly has the “bad sperm”, or wonky family history. But it doesn’t matter if science discovers its a gene passed down or a massive mutation after birth. It’s nobody’s fault. It’s only our fault if we do nothing to help our children and stop trying to understand them.