I have a son named Michael. He is Autistic.
He will never be able to work. He will never be able to drive. He will never have scrapes on his elbows or knees from playing outside with other children. He will never fall in love. He will never learn to cook....dance with a girl....take walks alone....read a novel....be married....go to a movie and quietly enjoy it....own a pet....own a home....pray with his own thoughts....go shopping alone....take a midnight walk....play golf....pick his own clothes....voluntarily look me in the eyes....and although he could recite and recognize the letters of the alphabet by the time he was one year old, he will never fully understand the meaning of his words or mine.
About one out of every 88 children have an Autism Spectrum Disorder according to the CDC's Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network. Chances are that even if you don't know someone affected by Austism now....you will.
April is Autism Awareness Month. Please visit http://www.autismspeaks.org/ and learn a little about it.
One of the saddest aspects of being a parent to an Autistic child are watching how others react to him when they see he acts differently than most others in public, if he makes inarticulate sounds or acts out because he is upset with his surroundings. They look at him like he is "weird" or "strange" or he's being unruly. And these aren't other children I'm speaking of....these are adults. I've had people chastise me for having no "control" over my son.
If nothing else, it is important to be aware that there are children and adults who cannot control their actions. And try to be a little understanding.
I cannot say I wish for my son to be different. Not for me. I love him as he is and forever will.
Thank you.