Saturday, April 3, 2010

how did i miss it?

even though i posted this video about autism awareness yesterday, i didn't find out until today that yesterday was world autism awareness day.


noel piper, wife of the godly pastor and theologian john piper, posted a really good series on austism, which you can see here, here, here, here, here, here and here.

one post that especially hit me:

"I was a visitor in a circle of mothers who have children on the autism spectrum.”We’ve been kicked out of every place anyone takes their children. The public library banned us,”  one of them said. All the others nodded with full empathy because they’re living the same story.

I thought of the times there’s a child screaming in a store. The disapproving faces around them all wear an expression you could spell with the alphabet: “Why doesn’t she control her child?”

I wonder. Maybe it is an undisciplined child. Or maybe it’s a parent who’s ignored the child’s needs and has postponed lunch time or nap time way too long. Or maybe it’s a child with autism."

this is me at my job.  a child is screaming and there is nothing that i can do to stop it. you try everything, but not even their favorite activities will stop the tantrum, let alone the programs i am supposed to go through with them.  in my mind, i am freaking out: all i can think is "i wonder what mom/dad/teacher/siblings are thinking?" even though they already know the child's behavior issues.

how much more so do parents feel this every day in public with strangers who are ignorant of the full situation?

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