Friday, March 18, 2011

Magic 8 Ball please

Something's been on my mind for a long time and I haven't been able to put words to it. The last few days I've been mulling things over more and more and I realized that my frustration with Autism has to do with the unknown.

With a typical child, for all the phases and issues that arise there is guidance out there to help navigate through it all. Most information out there will apply to your typically developing child. So most parents have a pretty decent road map to their kids' development, phases, and common issues.

The problem with Autism is that even within the Autism community there is no such road map. You all know the saying if you've met one child with Autism then you've met one child with Autism. This is the part that is so frustrating. Even the moms I know with autistic kids are all on different parts of the spectrum or their child's weakness is J's strengths and vice versa.

I have a pretty decent road map for Emily and though there may be detours along the way I know that there are things she will learn and accomplish at certain times in her life based on others' experiences. Since no two kids with Autism are alike, I don't feel like I really have others' experiences to rely on for him.

Although I am surrounded by a pretty big support network it still feels like we are alone on this journey and nobody can really understand what it's like raising Joshua or offer any kind of roadmap.

For now, all I can hold onto is my faith to get me through and the new magic 8 ball application I uploaded to my iphone.

Will Joshua ever stop having potty accidents.

*shake shake shake*

Magic 8 ball says: "Does not look promising."

Well that's not helpful either.

I guess that just leaves it up to my faith.

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

1 comment:

  1. I think about it all the time. I want to be proactive and make sure we don't screw up making sure Katie reaches her full potential. I can almost taste typical life sometimes (sometimes I can almost taste the inside of a padded cell, but, I digress). I know a lot of people say not to worry about it and just go with the flow, but that isn't me even outside of Autism.

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