Parenting

I was invited by the parent support group to share about autism at Rosyth school last Friday (28 Jul). The speaker before me was talking about stress management and he invited the audience to think about how they might improve their parenting. "Enjoy their company!" I offered. I also thought about how I should say yes faster than I blurt no. Linking to this topic on mental health, I started my talk by comparing the stress faced by a neurotypical child (e.g. my daughter) versus that faced by an autistic child (e.g. my son). I also shared about stress that besets the family members, how we cope, how people helped etc. After the talk, a parent conveyed that she's been very inspired. Then she shared with me her challenge supporting a newly-diagnosed dyslexic son. Was she right to have excused him from an intimidating therapist (who frightened not just him but her as well)? After all, the therapist is the expert. I assured her that in special needs families, the parents are also experts. "What's most important," I reflected, "is that our children know we're on their side". Interestingly, although I was encouraging inclusion through a better understanding of autism, I grew as a parent with renewed perspectives that would help not just Calder but Ethel too.