Helping to change the way others think

All too often we sit back and become complacent to the world we live in until something happens to explode our happy little life, and then it's all,

……….DON’T MESS WITH THE MAMMA!!!

I totally get it......... regarding how we can become so relaxed in our own little bubble, floating along doing our own thing, that we ignore everything happening outside the world we live in, believing all is good as long as we aren't being trampled or disturbed directly.

My perspective to this outlook definitely changed after our little man came into our life full time and we faced the journey into the world of Autism, understanding the struggles that families go through trying to gain the all-important Diagnosis just to get the much needed help and support.

Knowing ‘standard’ doesn’t fit our little ones and ‘yes’ our children are different, we can with a lot of work and effort from everyone help them gain the perfect niche in the outside world, although rather than changing your child to ‘fit in’ with society, teaching others to focus on what our children CAN do; not what they CAN’T do, and how those differences can be a GOOD thing when allowing them to be included and enhanced with others!!

Learning and teaching not to stress about how they will relate to their peers, that it is ok to be their own personality and not allow anyone to change the way they are.

Everyone has their own personalities to express the best they have to offer, we still teach right from wrong, but in doing so let go of the little things and focus on the important aspects, allow their personality to come through while teaching them the benefits of their abilities and how they can learn to participate and be an active part of society.

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Everyone has the ‘RIGHT’ to a fair and just life, accessing everything they’re entitled to…

Never should you resolve to accept that what you have is good enough or to put up with less than what you deserve.

Listen to your intuition – gut instinct, if you’re unsure or unhappy with a situation or result, if you feel something is wrong, don’t ignore your take on it, and don’t settle for less.

When addressing the rights of your child, remember YOU are your child’s best advocate, so stand up and be heard!

Regardless of where you are or who you’re dealing with….

It’s amazing how a little thing like ‘understanding’ and ‘acceptance’ can make such a difference; educationally it can be the difference between a school catering to the specific needs of children with special needs, and a school ignoring the reality of a true disability.

Our reality at the moment, now that A.J. has settled into his new school routine, I can’t believe the transformation, with progress showing in many areas; knowing he has their support, they understand, believe, and acknowledge his disability, in return he seems more relaxed and is accepting of all that is expected of him.

We still see his social immaturity, with a few stimming and behavioural traits still evident, and although we are aware of the differences A.J. is facing, I have noticed how he so easily is able to imitate the behaviour of others in an attempt to try and ‘fit-in’.

We now can truly acknowledge and fully understand how some of the anger and frustration he was previously displaying was not just a reflection of his personal emotions at that time, but caused from the overload of sensory stimuli from the environment he was trying to cope with, and struggling with the knowledge of not having the full support, understanding, acceptance, patience and guidance from those around him.

I’m not saying it has stopped the issues and meltdowns from occurring, although having support from people with a ‘willingness’ to understand and ‘training’ in the skills needed to really help, it has and will definitely lessen the impact of stress levels and minimise the end result.

Assuring the environment and surroundings are catering to his specific needs.

It doesn’t take much to lower the noise levels, limit the contact or other sensory stimuli, being able to maintain a reasonably stable routine. Being aware of these traits and helping to cope with change, by utilising any self-monitoring and self-regulating techniques, noticing the pre-warning signs, helping before anything becomes too overwhelming, then isolating and settling if all becomes too much.

Yes he is able to communicate and for that some say I should be lucky

And that he “looks normal” is a blessing

What does that really mean?

What is normal?

When others don’t tolerate differences in others or try to understand WHY!

Believing that Autism is a real and justified disability

Awareness in the general sense

Acceptance in the long term

Understanding and Tolerance to differences;

‘With’ or ‘With-out’ a disability, we are all different, and those differences should be acknowledged and enhanced to gain the best of each personal ability.

UNITY ……………. Uniting together regardless, without discrimination

Facing mountains of therapy, treatments, and assessments, in the hope of gaining the right direction and support, no-one realises or truly understands the hours-upon-hours put into each step, each task, each progressive moment

The days, weeks, months and years helping to learn the basic of routines, the basic of actions, motions, words and more; still needing the use of visual assistance and simple broken down steps to explain different actions in case they miss something and become confused with the process

Relying on shared involvement to keep the smooth transition between home and school and regulate any process required to allow access and involvement in what is everyone’s ‘right’  

Dealing with the ritual routines and time frames required

The “needing” of things to be done in a specific way, and a specific order, for any particular reason

Then understanding his emotional outburst if for some reason that sequence is broken, while noticing and acknowledging the events leading up to the “MELTDOWN”

These are better explained under the heading of-

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Tendencies to perform repetitive, sequential, precise tasks and motions

The need for a strict and regimental routine that they have unknowingly set out for themselves

With all this we try and focus on the positives, without stressing the little things

Not allowing judgement of others to affect your emotional balance

Sounds so overwhelming and unachievable at times and then other times we are amazed with how things fall into place and progress so dramatically in a blink of an eye.

When you see so many positive stories we can be content in the hopes that life will consider all in a fair and just way, and then you read a story about a child caged in a schoolroom like a wild beast and we can only wonder why????

My positivity will continue to outweigh the negativities of life, and I will continue to find ways to help others like mine to be more accepted in society.