This won’t take long.
The New York Times has published an article entitled “The Kids Who Beat Autism.” A response was published in a New York Times blog post called “The Kids Who Don’t Beat Autism.” These are both helpful posts. There is just one problem. This division limits families to one of two options. Either we win or we lose.
Twenty plus years as a parent of a child with Autism has taught me this one thing. Autism is not a win or lose proposition.
Autism is life. Some things are easy and others hard. Some are fun and others sad. Just like life.
My dad wanted me to become a baseball player. I hated baseball. Loved basketball. How would he have written the post? My kid who can’t play baseball? My kid who can play basketball? We are never our victories or defeats. We are simply ourselves.
I love every informational as well as inspirational piece I read on Autism. These two articles are actually great reads. The authors do a great job of sharing their perspective.
I simply wish we could decide Autism is life.
There doesn’t have to be a win or loss. We can simply enjoy life. The hard and easy. The joyful and sad. All of it is discovery, family, and hopefully destiny…that moment when we realize we were meant to be together.
For those like me, who love their child with Autism, let’s not score wins or loses. Let’s embrace life!
