PERSONAL NARRATIVE
haircut; or play at a park, an overload of concerns for
those around us flood my brain. Every special needs
parent out there has experienced this to some degree. It permeates every single thing in our lives that
involve public interaction. The problem is that it can’t
be our only concern.
Our special kids NEED to learn how to act in social
situations. How else are they going to learn, if not
by doing? There is only so much good that therapy
and schooling can do if children like ours are never allowed to try out their newly learned behaviors
in the necessary environment. So, we take them in
public, holding our breath and trying our damnedest to simply focus on our kiddos and not start in on
our own particular cycle of worry. I’m here to tell you,
it’s dilly of a pickle!
If everyone out there had even an inkling of the sheer
volume of worries that run daily treks through the
brains of special needs parents, I’m sure there would
be much fewer statements like the aforementioned.
The life of a family with a special needs child is a deep
sea of worries and cares, some of which even they
can only begin to fathom.
The honest truth is that there really isn’t a simple
solution to this problem. Every child is different. Every parent is different. Our hopes, desires, abilities
and difficulties are different. I’d never presume to tell
every parent of a special needs child to just get over
their fears and face public scrutiny, whether you’re
ready for it or not. What I will say is this: Whatever
you do, do it with confidence. Your child deserves
every experience, public or not, that they desire. If
someone questions your child’s rights, inform them.
Stand up for those rights. Cure the ignorance.
Finally, and most importantly, know that you’re not
alone. There are literally thousands of families around
the world who understand exactly what you’re going through. Be strong. Be courageous. And if all else
fails, just be like my Lexi and just lick the mean people on the face. Stops them every time.
Emily Davidson is married and the mother of three
children, residing in Kalamazoo, MI. She is a classically trained pianist by trade. Her oldest child, Alexis, has multiple diagnoses which include Down syndrome, West syndrome, and autism.
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“I’ll Never Give Up On You”
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Please, click to listen & share
youtube Autism Song “I’ll Never Give Up Ou You”
* To Our Wonderful Children *
Autism is what our children have,
autism is not who they are. Writing
and recording this Autism Song "I'll Never Give Up On You" was such a positive
experience. The picture of this little boy with his angelic
face, is my son. He was diagnosed with autism at age 3.
He is now a wonderful young adult. Different. Yet, equally
important! Keep raising awareness.
The Best to You and Yours on this uncommon journey,
George
Available on iTunes
https://itunes.apple.com/.I’ll Never Give Up On You
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