The diagnosis screams emergency! Study after study indicates that "Early Intervention" is Thee Answer.So you dive in and usually everyone in the household does too! Even the siblings who do not have the diagnosis are apart of the solution or plan.I am sure that this seems common of most disorders or ailments somehow Autism
This is a disorder which is so common that the ratio right now is 1 in every 110 births result in some diagnosis of Autism. The medical profession is inundated with studies, research, opinions and strategies all seemingly confident that their observation or "cure" is the one that will work. Hell, there are even Parent and Caregiver support groups on line who have individuals who believe that what they are doing for their child is gospel. It even goes so far as to feel that they {the other parents} judge you if you do not "buy into their protocol".{Again a topic that deserves its own excerpt}
How this all equals "Drowning in Autism" is that there is NO for sure "life vest" with this diagnosis--Even with things as horrible as Cancer at least you have percentages of recovery or months to live or a way to see or NOT see physical progress with the disease.You at least get a reprieve when you go to sleep at night and maybe you have a day or at least a couple of hours where you can do something anything including something as benign as sitting on the coach an watching a movie without the disease or disorder haunting you every move. Autism is not like that.
Autism is so isolating. For the family as well as the person who has it.Your home becomes a secure haven which you can let you guard down and even allow things to transpire that others could never imagine. Sometimes its not so horrible things but just the same its things that John Q Public would judge as unacceptable. Where in our house its just another day in Autism Land!
Drowning in Autism is not just about the diagnosis but the social impact it has on your child, their siblings, your spouse and you.
The child has to deal with everything from bullying in school to judgement of the general public when a behavior erupts. The siblings deal with the inability to have relationships with their classmates to trailing along to every appointment having their lives interrupted just because they have a brother or sister who has Autism.Forget about the relationship with the spouse, the divorce rate is somewhere in the 80 percentile not to mention those that manage to survive are constantly in turmoil about what to do and when to do it. And for yourself well I think the biggest impact is everything you did before Autism for the most part comes to a screeching halt. Its not about depriving yourself or being a marter {SP}. Its about doing everything you possibly can for your kid {and here comes the most important part} Not because someone else says it works or its the "cure" but because its what works for your child your, family and you. AND even this; will isolate you from other parents who are dealing with the same diagnosis because they judge you for not doing what they think is the right thing.
There are no right answers. There are no miracle cures. There are no rule books. Most importantly there SHOULD BE NO JUDGEMENT on anyones part. Unfortunately this happens. It happens with everyone.The most important thing when it comes to this situation is to be as honest as you can with everyone you come in contact with--Whether its out in public when your child has a meltdown, an argument with your spouse about care, a sibling who cant have someone over for a sleep over and finally when you have a friend that wants to come to an event and you just cant do it because you cant take a chance that something will happen when you are gone.
Its Drowning in Autism. You keep hoping that someone out there will send you a Life Raft AND It doesn't happen often.
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