Does One Size Fit All?

What do you think? 

Autism... I still recall when this word was first introduced to me, years ago, I was at a total loss. I had never heard of this before. Back in the day, should something be amiss in a child, he would be termed retarded. And I asked myself, was my little boy retarded? How could I have not seen it?

A lot of questions filled my head, and a lot of pain filled my heart. I asked around, spoke to doctors but no one could give me a proper explanation. So, like anyone else today, I turned to the one source that would answer my question. The Internet! Yes, the internet was able to help me understand a little better. I read the terms and characteristics. The more I read, the more fearful and worried I became.

I took everything literally, but what I never understood, was that although my son had autism he was still a unique little boy.

"Every person who has autism is different. No two autistic people will have exactly the same symptoms. Some people have severe autism. A person with severe autism may not speak. He may not be able to do everyday tasks, such as dressing himself or using the bathroom by himself. He may nit be able to do everyday tasks, such as dressing himself or using the bathroom by himself. he may do odd or upsetting things, such as bang his head against the wall or chew on furniture.

Other people have less severe symptoms. They may be able to learn to do things to take care of themselves. They may learn to read and write. However, it can take a very long time for autistic children to learn new things.

Book: How to deal with Autism by Lynette Robbins

 
The  extract taken above explains it in mere layman terms. This is as simple as it gets. I slowly learned that I needed to take everything I read with a pinch of salt. Not everything was applicable to my son. So, I sieved out only important information that would be helpful to my son.

So, if you are a parent, who just found out that you child has some form of special needs, here's what I wish to share with you.

• take a deep breathe
• pray for strength
• read as much as you can about the condition
• speak to other parents in similar situations
• spot out which applies to your child
• love and enjoy your child
• it will  not be perfect, but in this world nothing is!

Take heart, my friends.