Some parents are so conscious of the unusual and unpredictable behaviour of their offspring; they refuse to take them out in public. Instead, they elect to hide away in the safety and seclusion of their own four walls, unable to face the stares, the whisperings and the downright rude remarks.
I know. I've been there, done that and worn the tee-shirt.
The big problem with autism, apart from the fact it is different for every one with the disability, is that it is invisible. There is usually nothing for the outside world to see. Our children look "normal".
When an autistic child misbehaves in public it is generally seen as a failure on the part of the parents to control him or her. The child is obviously very "naughty", spoiled rotten and clearly in need of a firm hand. At least that's the way it appears.
However, perception and reality are two different things.
Autistic children do everything for a reason. When my son was small he used to hit and kick me all the time. He would have terrible tantrums, throw himself on the floor screaming and I never knew why. I only knew he wasn't being deliberately naughty. He was just frustrated because he had no way of communicating.
Just imagine how you would feel if you suffered a stroke or some paralysing condition which left your brain functioning normally, but you couldn't speak, read or write. You were unable to point, look at the thing you actually wanted and don't know the difference between Yes and No, so even if someone did ask you an appropriately worded question to determine your wishes, you wouldn't be able to answer.
How would you feel? How would you communicate? How would you tell the world what you wanted? Don't you think you might be just a bit frustrated?
Perhaps you could think about that the next time you see some poor harassed parent with a seemingly spoiled and naughty child.
Don't judge.
Those poor people will be doing the best they can in a VERY difficult situation and the last thing they need is for people to stare and criticise.
Thankfully my son has learned to communicate and I am no longer his punch bag. Never once have I hit him but many people have told me I should have given him a good smack round the backside. "That will sort him out", they said.
One woman even offered to lend me her walking stick to beat him with when he was misbehaving in a shop, but children learn by example. What sort of example would a smack give? Anyway I knew he wasn't really being naughty.
Autism is a growing problem. It's not going away and at some point you will come some autistic children and some very worried and anxious parents. Please don't make their lives any harder by making rash judgments.
I've been there and know what it's like. I've often wished the ground would open up and swallow me, and have lost count of the times I've returned home in tears vowing never to venture outside my door again.
Autism is tough. It's autism awareness week so be aware. Things aren't always as they seem!
Though autism was first discovered and diagnosed as early as 1943, some aspects of this disorder still remain a baffling mystery for experts. Now, autism and its spectrum disorders are known to have spread out to as many as 5,00,000 families all over the United States of America alone! Autism Awareness is an organization that aims to tackle this problem and extend help to both the victims and their families.
Because autism is such a silent disorder and can remain unnoticed for a long period of time, it gets even more difficult to diagnose and treat it effectively. Autistic people do not show any particular signs of disability, but once they are afflicted with this very complicated condition, they have to undergo the suffering for life. No matter how much care is given to them, they can never really hope to get a complete cure.
Of course, there are those who have successfully combated against the condition and are leading full lives, but that could happen only in the case of mild spectrum disorders. The more extreme cases have to be given a lifetime of support and therapy in order to sustain them.
Autism Awareness is non-profit organization that aims to do just that ? create awareness about the multifarious aspects of autism and help families of victims deal with the condition. Autism Awareness creates a perfect meeting ground for those who truly care about autism and who would like to share information about it, with a view to helping others trying to grapple with the situation.
This website was launched in the year 2002, as part of the Autism Awareness Year. This became a huge success that year itself, following which, the Disabilities Trust continued to maintain it, creating elaborate message boards and online discussion forums for one and all wanting to give or take information on autism and its related disorders.
Location and services
Autism Awareness centers are spread through most areas of England and continue to assist autistic people in the following ways:
- Providing therapy - Treatment for injury - Physical disability services - Special housing facilities - Specialized education - Residential care - Day services - Rehabilitation and support
Partners of Autism Awareness
Once the creators of this website saw the immense scope of selfless service in their chosen field, they went ahead and decided to partner with other organizations with like interests. Autism Awareness is now supported by partnerships from reputed groups, such as A Bridge To Learning, Action Against Autism, Action for ASD, Afasic, Autism Unraveled, Autism Networks and many, many others.
The Disabilities Trust
The Disabilities Trust is a charity organization that aims to support autistic people and help them lead a life of dignity. This rapidly growing Trust provides a wide range of services, ranging from diagnosing the condition to helping the victims cope with the several physical and psychological challenges they have to face.
Providing all the necessary support to autistic people, selflessly supporting them with their complex everyday needs, Autism Awareness is truly an organization with a heart!
Both Encanthis & Melissa Fox are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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