Personal essay: ‘One boy, 3 dogs, 27 years’
April 3rd, 2008For World Autism Awareness Day, an essay that attempts to help readers understand the complexities of loving a young adult with profound special needs.
Writing for a Seattle Post-Intelligencer blog, Janice Williams says she doesn’t need the smiling children featured on CNN to explain autism to her. Her 27-year-old son “Todd” has autism, along with medical issues and challenging behaviors. He lives in a nursing home — and knowing that he is well cared for there allows Williams to sleep at night.
Williams offers encouragement to young parents who may be fearful about their child’s future.
It can get better. Sometimes it gets worse before it gets better, but overall, I’ve found the aging process to help. Some things do pass away with time. New challenges arise, but you’ll be stronger and more experienced, so they will not feel as hard as the challenges at the beginning …
… Today, I salute the parents who love the children who are different. Who don’t fit in. Who never will fit in.
Years ago I made a promise to my child “There is a place for you in this world, and I will help you find it.” I renew that promise every day, with each small loving step I can find it in myself to take — steps made possible by the love and support of everyone in my family. Together, we have found a happy life for ourselves and this unique child. We dreamed new dreams, and who’s to say our dreams are not worthwhile?
This entry was posted
on Thursday, April 3rd, 2008 at 9:53 am and is filed under NOT2BEMISSED, autism, behavior, families, intellectual disabilities, parents, personal stories, young adults.
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