Mother of autistic children
I am my own amazing dreamer. I am the mother of two autistic children and my dream is that both of them to be themselves, not lost in themself.
I do not expect them to be typical. I think too many parents expect their children to be normal. Even if they are not disabled. But I believe in my case I work harder for my dream. Every moment in my life is dedicated to my dream. From working a job focusing on being able to afford to bring them places to train them to various social situations, afford therapy, and to buy them anything that will give them the experiences that they need to build on that will help us to our goal. So much planning and executing on a daily basis that sometimes you think the routines are helping you as much as them. Bringing them to different places while your exhausted and dealing with the public prejudices that you are aware of, all the while hoping that my children will have learned how to act in a situation before they are aware how people think of them. It breaks my heart to hear the hurt from other older autistic children and want the evil of the world not to affect their progress.
I am my own amazing dreamer because this is my soul accepting the responsiblity I have been given. I did not grow up wanting this, the moment I realized something was wrong I was drafted into this war. But the struggle has changed me into a person that I am proud to be. You fight each battle and have to believe that one day the war will be won.
By: Susan Ward