My kid has Autism…so What?!

autism

My kid has Autism so what, was my response to all the societal pressures that are placed on us Autism parents. My son, Zachary, was diagnosed before the age of 3. As a professional working with families with children with Autism for over 10 years before having Zachary, and now for over 20 years, I saw the signs of being different, way earlier than 3. What stopped me? Fear, denial, anger, hurt and pain, but more intensely was fear of judgement from others.

After spending the last 10 years basically taking care of all his needs, and shielding him from the pressures of the world. I realized that what others think about him, or me, is not as important as what we think of ourselves. So what he has Autism… Does this means he is less important than any other child, or less deserving than any other child, or that he cannot participate in what others do?? HECK to the NO!!!

I’m NOT having it. And neither should you! Here are 3 ways to ignore others and fully show up for your child with Autism now.

Also Related: 3 Ways to Release the Guilt as a Mom

1. ACCEPT the diagnosis

Especially if your gut is telling you that it is. If your child is evaluated and in some cases reevaluated and the diagnosis is given, start by accepting it. It’s a start, it may or may not be the END, but it’s a start that points you towards how to start addressing his/her needs. It’s the start towards understanding why your child is doing things “differently” than some of the other children.

2. Different is NOT a curse word

By the way, different is not a bad thing. Shift your perception that being different is a “bad” thing. It’s NOT. In fact let me let you in on this little secret. WE ARE ALL DIFFERENT! Yup. I said it! That’s what make us exceptional and remarkable are our difference. Besides who wants to be the “same” as everyone else. BORINGGG!!!! Breathe out and SMILE because your child is different.

3. STOP hiding

This one requires some work, even for me it took a lot of work and I am still working on it some days. It took me years to feel comfortable telling others that my child was living with Autism. Why? Because I felt that they would judge me, I don’t know why but that’s the society that we were brought up in, where we care what others think. Until I began to realize, this is my life, my shoes, my path, my journey; and stopped caring what others thought, especially if it was negative.

The reality was as I began to get more comfortable with Zachary being “different”, remember different is a good thing, I began to teach others on accepting differences. Others began to feel more comfortable and they started to think and say the same thing. “He has Autism, so what?”

That’s why, when you come to my classes, read my blog, or join my workshops, I always try to teach you how to stay connected and in action. In fact, I will be doing daily livestream with shifting, igniting and empowering tips in my Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/acceptautismfest/. If you haven’t joined us yet I hope you head over and connect with our tribe!

How do you think we can best embrace being different, or our children being different?

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6 Comments

  • Gia
    November 6, 2016 at 2:41 PM

    What a great article. I shared on social media. Love your approach with this subject.

  • Judy
    November 8, 2016 at 4:01 PM

    See Sarah Stup’s blog for her views on people with autism being asked to “pose as normal.” Thank you, Dr. Griffith, for your insightful posting!
    https://sarahstup.com/blog/2014/10/behavior-autism-learn/
    SarahStup.com

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