What Being a Mom to an Autistic Child is Really Like
At 3 years old, my twin boys were diagnosed with Autism. I knew something was different when they were 1 but no one would hear of it. They were just "a little behind" being twins and born at 37 weeks. They are now 7 and in ABA, speech, OT, and feeding therapies. Communication is better but still needs more improvement.
View MoreWhat is it like being an autism mom? The ups, the downs, and the emotional struggle.
It is extremely hard. There are good days and bad. Some days you just don't think you can do it anymore. Emotionally I think the biggest struggle I have is that I want them to be "normal". I want them to go play with neighborhood kids, play a sport, have a girlfriend, etc. Will they one day? Maybe. But they are 7 now and we can't even go to Walmart for longer than 45 minutes or any other outing/activity. Communication is difficult. I have a non-verbal and partially verbal. I worry about them constantly and the future.
What fears do you face as you raise your child?
I worry about what happens if I can no longer handle them? I don't know if I can emotionally handle putting them in a group home setting. I worry about what happens when I'm old or die and no one is here to protect them. I worry about them getting picked on or abused and they can't tell me or stand up for themselves because they don't understand. I worry that they won't get the education they are supposed to get. I worry that they just won't have the experiences of every other kid.
What do you wish other moms knew about what you go through?
That it's certainly not what I wanted but it's what I have. We used to be invited to things and now we aren't. Which is fine but it's hard. Being a single mom is one thing but being a single mom to special needs twins is in a whole other ball park. I'm a mom too. I'm sorry I can't do playdates but I still count.
Do you have other autism mommies who have inspired you?
A teacher my boys had is still an inspiration to me. I don't know how she does it. People say that to me all the time. We just do it. But she is a model of strength.
