Might I take just a moment and reveal what I believe to be the truth? No human being can really pinpoint what happens or what is happening in the human mind at any given time. So, why do you expect an autism parent to know what’s going on with their child every moment? When Jason ( my child) was younger he would meltdown in class. The school system placed him in a class with Down Syndrome children. I knew right off that this was not the right environment, not because of the children, but because he needed a “different “ level of attention. However, this classroom setting was what was offered and during that time it was “all” that was offered. Unsurprisingly, I was called to pick him up, more than twice because he would not stop screaming and no one understood how to work with him. I was a young Mom. I didn’t know what had caused the meltdown, maybe it was the bright lights in the room, a color he didn’t like, impatience from someone on his response or someone taking something that he had fixated on. I had to figure this out! 🙁
When I couldn’t figure it out, I received the feeling of being a “bad” parent. (Oh and by the way the word “ meltdown “ was not even used to describe the screaming, it was considered a ‘ tantrum’ ) Why didn’t the school system realize they should have been trying to figure it out too? As the years went by, the number of children diagnosed with autism increased! Finally, they ( school system) begin to realize that they needed to re-think, re-work, and reestablish how to teach and help people on the Autism spectrum.
Sometimes, Jason still has meltdowns and even today I can only assume or guess. The fact is you must get to know him just like any other person. There is no pinpoint perfect knowledge of what’s wrong. Calm, attentiveness, prayer, gestures all can help alleviate the meltdown but can’t pinpoint the cause. We are humans working together trying to understand and trying to address each happening.
Every day as I wake there are new challenges and new barriers, I don’t know about you but I have to adjust accordingly. My son has to adjust, maybe not to the same challenges and definitely in a different way, but I allow for his adjustment. My highest and deepest respect to Jason and people dealing with Autism on a daily basis as they go through our society, holding it together, in the face of all types of obstacles that really annoy them. God bless each and every one of you and may understanding amongst people be found “around” you.
—teachers, policemen,firemen,doctors,classmates
,aunts,uncles,cousins,store clerks,
bus drivers,ditch diggers…. xxx—-