I have read some of the opinions of others who think that neurodiversity folks are people with high functioning autism or high functioning autistic kids or we don't think any intervention should be done. This is not True.
My son:
Bites himself. So bad sometimes he has a callous on his hand that
looks like a burn.
He has in the past (not recently) burned himself on the lamps of
lightbulbs because he liked the way the warmth from the lightbulb
felt.
He is nonverbal. He doesn't sign.
Just about anything directed he does is hand over hand. He doesn't
always need a great deal of direction, but it still has to be hand
over hand.
He is still in diapers.
He has comorbid gastrointestinal issues (they are not part of autism!)
He poops and pees A LOT.
Sometimes he sticks his hand in his diaper and ends up getting poop
all over the place (my theory is that he's scratching himself and then
is trying to get the poop off his hands.
we have to be careful not to fill up the bathtub too much. He loves
the water and will soak the bathroom.
I have to fight to brush his teeth. He'll put up with getting his hair
brushed, but I have to chase after him while doing it.
He is very sensitive about his head.
He is also so sensory seeking that he will sometimes do things
dangerous, even though he is typically very cautious.
He climbs on everything.
He breaks things.
He puts so many things in his mouth that I've about given up caring
(much to the dismay of everyone else around me who is still tuned to
the 'keep that out of the baby's mouth!' mentality)
He kicks things.
He pulls his younger sister's hair. (granted, this didn't happen until
after she started pushing him around... only it's easier to tell her
no then him...)
I could go on.
I do know he is worlds easier than some autistic children. However he
is also very much a challenge.
That said, MY SON AND HIS AUTISM ARE A BLESSING! I DO NOT WANT TO CURE
IT. I WOULD LOVE FOR HIM TO DEVELOP AND GROW AND BE INDEPENDENT BUT IF
THE IS THE WAY HE IS NOW FOR THE REST OF HIS LIFE I WILL ACCEPT IT AND
LOVE HIM FOR IT.
I am getting him treatment. He goes to a full day of school, and has
since he was 4. I enrolled him in after school care at a daycare when
he only had a half day of school. He gets summer school. We are
looking into resources to bring what he does at school and the
therapies he is given at school home. I am trying. I don't do nearly
enough but we are doing something.
People, who feel their children make them want to commit
murder-homicide, need mental health treatment. It may be a common
thought among parents of disabled children. A thought they would never
carry out, but they still need treatment. It is not the child or the
autism that is causing this. It is the parent, and society's rigid
views of what is worthwhile.
Removing the stigma would not just relieve autistic people, it would
relieve their caretakers and loved ones.
I would like stigma to be removed from disabilities, both physical and
mental. We've got a long way to go, but it's a path worth taking, a
fight worth fighting.
Removal of stigma would make resources more readily available and help
people reach out to them. It is a worthy cause. So the next time you
see someone who looks or acts strangely, try not to stare, or wonder
what's wrong with them. It's kind of interesting, because having a
disabled child has caused me to second guess my prejudices. Do people
still irritate me? of course. do I second guess whether I should
really be irritated now? most of the time.
6 comments:
I like the post, because - while you have misunderstood what neurodiversity is really about you have displayed understanding of its principles.
I'm curious as to what I misunderstood. Please explain.
I'm not really trying to define neurodiversity here. I'm describing some of the negative aspects of my son's behavior to explain that no, it's not all cheery and rosy for all of us. Because that is an argument I see often. I read "you don't understand, because you have it easier than I do" from a lot of parents, which isn't really true.
Damn, I misread the opening. You may delete the posts if you wish to.
I apologize.
"[*]neurodiversity folks are people with high functioning autism or high functioning autistic kids [*][who] don't think any intervention should be done"
Severe misreading, and again, I apologize.
ah, that makes a bit more sense. perhaps I should have been more clear. I was afraid I HAD misunderstood something. :)
Is that a bit more clear?
Sure is.
It's really just me trying to read quicker than I really can - it's happened before, but hopefully it wont happen again after this.
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