The Autism SeeSaw – Tues 28th Jan 2014
By Jeannette | January 28, 2014
It has been a day of emotional ups and downs for D, with no real middle ground. She has either been extremely anxious (usually about her upcoming injection) or laughing, laughing away at something one of us has done to keep her smiling. Because it’s lovely when she’s happy and laughing but suddenly, as if a coin has flipped, she’s back down at the bottom of the autism seesaw, but physically she’ll already be on her way upstairs to the sanctuary of her bedroom, ready to curl up into a ball, unable to deal with whatever has just happened. Leaving me to nitpick apart the previous few moments, analysing and wondering.
This is life for us, especially with two children on the spectrum, but they don’t know any other way.
Hubbie and I were at an event recently, at which there were people who knew of T and D’s autism but didn’t necessarily know anything about it. Words like “trouble” and “a handful” were used to our faces and because of where we were, it was not appropriate to go into an autism awareness response, I just used a polite stock answer and replied they were fine and we wouldn’t have them any other way.
Which then made me think if this is how people who do know of their autism, how do people describe them who don’t? And then I stop, because it reminds me of the mother I encountered in a park one time, screeching at me that my children were rude. Any attempts at explanation were met with an “I don’t care”, I think we left hurriedly after that before the tears flowed.
But that is life, ever wondering how to increase autism awareness, wondering if awareness was increased sufficiently, would people accept it? Something that asks them to look beyond initial perceptions.
Sometimes The camera DOES lie, one of my first and favourite posts.
Would I want to change T or D? No, individually they have the most amazing traits and quirks, but I’d like to change the world (and it’s perceptions) for them.
2 Comments
Marylin on 28th January 2014 at 11:07 pm.
It’s so hard sometimes, dealing with the mutterings or tutting of others when they see our kids being “naughty”. I’m lucky I live in a small community where the vast majority of people know Max has autism, and have been part of our journey in one way or another through the years. They see how much he’s come on.
I guess that’s why we blog about autism, partly at least? I know that for me, I feel like it’s my way of spreading more awareness of what it’s like to have a child on the spectrum.
I’m the same – I wouldn’t have Max any other way, even on his difficult days. He is an amazing wee guy and just needs me to traverse his life at his pace, instead of the one in the rulebooks.
Jeannette on 29th January 2014 at 9:34 am.
So true, thanks so much for commenting. I hope we get there someday and change perceptions x