PARENTAL ADVICE
A New Autism Perspective:
The Other Side of the Table
By Angela CONRAD
I’ve been on both sides of the table. I’ve been the professional telling you what your
child can and cannot do. I’ve reviewed Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) and
have felt the hurt from parents when they review the results. I have watched parents
sit in IEP meetings, crying as professionals discussed their children. My heart has
ached for you, and I have cried with you. However, I am now the parent hearing the
words that hurt so much. I am now in the shoes that I once witnessed. Even though
I have had a lot of sympathy for my student’s parents over the years, it just doesn’t
even come close to experiencing the anguish myself.
A
s a special education teacher, I thought I had
a good understanding of special needs in
general. I recall sitting in my college cours-
es, learning about all of the mild to severe
disabilities, wondering what else I needed
to know. I learned more and more each year
from my amazing students in my classroom.
What I didn’t know at the time was that I actually knew
very little. Teaching children with special needs and
raising them are two totally different journeys in life. I
now have had the pleasure of experiencing both.
If there is anything that I can pass along to all of the
special education teachers and therapists, it would
be to listen to your parents. They may not have a de-
gree in their child’s disability, but they know more
than any professional could ever begin to imagine.
You don’t know the level of exhaustion your par-
ents endure daily. You can’t even begin to imagine
the heartache they experience daily watching their
child struggle in a world that most definitely does
not cater to special needs. The loneliness and isola-
tion the parents feel daily is unimaginable. With that
said, please be empathetic in your meetings with the
parents. It is not easy listening to what you have to
say about their child—I know that all too well. Think
about their perspective, and have compassion. Each
and every child has some spectacular talent. It is
your job to find it and make sure you praise that tal-
Autism Parenting Magazine | Issue 65 |
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