As I get more tied into the
disability and autism community, I occasionally run into articles that I
don't have a lot to say on, but I do think are very worth your time.
This particular article is from an autistic parent to all parents of children with disabilities, on the subject of finding out your kid is disabled. As I'm not a parent, I don't have a whole lot to add to this discussion beyond what the author espouses here... but I'd like to underline what he says about finding out you're "broken."
I learned, over time, that I was different than other children. Unlike the author, my parents weren't given this song and dance of grief to do. They simply... dealt with me. Not ideally at times. But they were forward-thinking enough to just let me be me.
And still, I learned that I was broken, that something was wrong with me. But it wasn't nearly to the magnitude that this author talks about. Knowing your own parents wish you were someone else? Knowing they wanted to fix you rather than love you? The mere thought staggers and hurts me.
So please, give this excellent article a read. And let's try to do better by all of us.
This particular article is from an autistic parent to all parents of children with disabilities, on the subject of finding out your kid is disabled. As I'm not a parent, I don't have a whole lot to add to this discussion beyond what the author espouses here... but I'd like to underline what he says about finding out you're "broken."
I learned, over time, that I was different than other children. Unlike the author, my parents weren't given this song and dance of grief to do. They simply... dealt with me. Not ideally at times. But they were forward-thinking enough to just let me be me.
And still, I learned that I was broken, that something was wrong with me. But it wasn't nearly to the magnitude that this author talks about. Knowing your own parents wish you were someone else? Knowing they wanted to fix you rather than love you? The mere thought staggers and hurts me.
So please, give this excellent article a read. And let's try to do better by all of us.
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