Oh! The Places You'll Go

With Ayden being newly-diagnosed with Autism on top of the FX diagnosis - I've been doing a lot of reading on autism which has of course involved numerous blogs. (I find parents to be an invaluable resource)  With two spectrum disorders - nothing is going to be alike even if I do run across another child with both FX and autism, but I find a lot of comfort in reading about how others have overcome the difficulties that either or both of these disorders face.

I did read one blog yesterday that really hit close to home.  It's also been a recent topic of conversation between Mr Awesome and myself.  The post was mainly about how many families that received an autism diagnosis felt as if the outcome for their child was not hopeful.  It went on for the blogger to explain about her son's diagnosis and her feelings about this as well as how she dealt with it.  It was very well written, and while the entire blog post was fantastic, it was this quote that jumped out at me...

"Unless people have higher expectations of our children, there is nothing to motivate/encourage them to think about alternative solutions."
How can we as parents put a cap on where our kids can go?  If someone says to me "Your child will never do this" or "Your child can only go this far", I find that unacceptable.  I was never told as a child that I could not do something, no matter how outrageous it was or how the odds may be stacked against me.  I was given support and asked "How can I help you?".  THAT is what parents, caregivers, doctors, therapists, family...anyone that comes into contact and has a relationship with my child should be saying.  I refuse to accept anything less.  I certainly cannot say what either of my children will do in the future, but I know the possibilities are endless and they will shine because that is who they are.

You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself any direction you choose.
-Dr Seuss, Oh! The Places You'll Go

If you are interested in reading the full article, you can check it out here:  The Bigotry of Low Expectations