Emotions of Autism

When you first learn that your child has Autism you are going to go through a whirlwind of emotional states. I can attest to my own roller coaster. Listed are just a few, and I do mean only a few, there are many, many more.

Denial

“No my child is fine. She/he just likes to do her/his own thing.” No matter the excuse you give, it is just that, an excuse. In your heart, you know there is something bigger going on. You must set aside your denial. Only then can you get your child the most needed help that he/she is going to need.

Why

Yep that old time question. Why? That you will be asking for the rest of your life. You will never get a satisfactory answer to the ultimate question; “Why my child?” So don’t even try to answer. Just accept that this is what has occurred and now you, as the parent, need to learn to live with it if your child is going to have any hope.

Blame

“Who did this?” “How did this happen?” I struggled with that question for a long time. I read every theory, of which I will go more into in another post. I examined every story. There are times even now that I sit and try and figure it all out. It took me a while to come to the conclusion that the ‘how’ and ‘why’ of it wasn’t what was most important. Helping the child was.

Acceptance

There it is. It will come. There will undoubtedly be other emotional states you will visit on your journey then the ones I have mentioned thus far, however, this one, is one of the most important. Only in accepting that there is something different with your child, can you begin to relearn the world around you. Because that’s exactly what you will have to do.

Raising any child is an emotional upheaval to say the least. Raising one with a disability, well, lets just say it’s not for the faint of heart or weak of spirit. You need to remember that the first step in helping your child is to help yourself. Yes I know, your child come first, as do mine, however, if you neglect your own health, mental well being and happiness, your child will suffer as well.

So remember, it’s okay to take some time for yourself. Go get your hair done. Buy a new dress. Go see a movie. Or just go for lunch alone. Quiet time. Grab them when and where you can because it’s a long, hard road, but the most rewarding one possible.

“I will show her the world through my eyes,
By learning the world in hers.” Kitty Bradford ‘Secret World’