Living With Autism

As those close to me know, my son has autism.

Having a child that is "special" has substantially changed my view of the whole world. As I grew up, I was always one of the smartest and most athletic kids among my peers. It makes me sad to think back, how I used to make fun of, look down at, or generally ostrasize children who were "different", who were "special".

Now, as the prod mother of an autistic child, I feel as if I am on the "outside" sometimes. Friends and family just do not understand why we can not do the things that other "normal" families do.

My son has required 24/7 care for the last 6 years of his life. Very recently, I have trusted him enough to get a yogurt out of the fridge alone, or brush his teeth alone but, other than the very recent past, I have spent every moment of my life within arm's length of Ethan.

He requires this level of attention because he has no conception of what "danger" is. Furthermore, he has not had the capacity to learn what "danger" is like "normal" children do. He has touched the oven many times, cut body parts with scissors, eaten isulation from an unfinished basement, run out into 4 lane highway, etc. Trips to the emergency room have been a regular occurrance, despite my vigilance.

My son alo makes alot of noise, regardless of the situation. He becomes impatient and cries alot. He is very clumsy and falls alot. He also has sensory integration issues, that cause him not to be able to sit still for more then a few minutes. He paces constantly. He tantrums alot too. He is the "size" of a "normal" six year old, so this all causes problems of its own. I currently live in an apartment, and my neighbors complain.

My son has the vocabulary of a 2 year old. His social skills currently hover around 3 years of age, and this is only with many years of hard work. His emotional age is around 2. His intellectual skills, however, are equal to the skills of a 10 year old. The mix of age, skills, and abilities makes things complicated as well. Remember, too, that he "looks normal." This causes alot of scathing, intruive, and mean comments from people almost every time we leave the house (ie- Your son is so badly behaved. He needs a good spanking.)

I write this post to try to give everyone who reads it an idea of what life with a "special child" is like. It is my hopes that this post may breed:

Understanding.
Hope.
Support.

Almost 1% of American children today has a disorder that falls along the autism spectrum. To learn more please visit the Autism Society of America

http://www.autism-society.org/site/PageServer