This is not the only story of heard of where a child on the spectrum was treated cruelly. I've heard of a little boy locked in a dog crate for most of his life. A girl that was locked in a chicken coop. Another boy that was locked in a closet. The list goes on.
I know that children on the spectrum can act a bit "wild". But it is our job as parents to guide and teach our children. So what if it takes a bit longer for them to get it. You've got to keep teaching and keep working with them. That's the only way that you will help your child be the well behaved person that can handle being out in the world.
The moment the news popped up that the teen girl had autism I broke down in tears. Doodle who was playing with her chipmunks in front of me immediately took notice and asked me why I was crying. I'm going to be honest with her. She's 9 and she does understand that people can be down right mean. We've had the discussion several times thanks to the kids around the corner. All I told her was that Mommy needed a hug because a person with autism was treated badly. I also informed her that people with autism shouldn't be treated badly. She knows sometimes that can't be helped.
If we stand up against the abuse of children on the spectrum we may be able to change peoples minds about our children. They are not retarded and I can't say they aren't freaks because Doodle will be the first to tell you that she's a proud freak. She's a Jesus Freak. Both she and I are. And yes we do wear that badge proudly. Call us freaks and we will admit that yes we are Jesus Freaks. No one will take that from us. So what some would think would be an insult against us is actually something we are proud of.
Doodle did give me a hug and told me, "Stop crying mom." She is the light in my world.
And on another note, I follow a few pages on facebook where parents love their kids but hate their autism. They don't understand parents like myself that embrace and love the "disability" that my child has. To me I have a lot of perks with her having autism. We get rock star service at school. Where there are 20+ students to 1 teacher my child gets one on one instruction with her teacher and she has para-educators in the class so that she is always watched. The classes are small. Where parents have to get into lanes at school and wait for their kids to be called out and have to deal with those long lines every single school day I get to pull up in a different area. A para-educator comes out to retrieve Doodle and I am on my way. I'm not stuck with 50 something vehicles bumper to bumper.
Of course this is the first year the school implemented this but at the beginning of the school I insisted on it. The reason I did was because I can't be in those lines. She's always had someone walk her to the area that she was suppose to be at. She would get lost otherwise. And then how would the school like that liability? And because I insisted on that perk all the special needs parents got that perk. Our children even get out 30 minutes before all the other kids get out. So in the afternoons I show up 15 minutes before her class gets out. I've met several people that are along my speed that I chat and hang out with in the afternoons. I really don't know a stranger. These are really great guys that I will fight for. And Doodle calls them her Aunt and Uncles. And yes I do have Doodle give them hugs. They love and adore her just as much as I do.
If I didn't have my friends in the afternoon I don't know what I would do. They get to the school around noon so they can be at the front of the line. If they see Doodle without a para or a teacher, I'm the first to find out about it. We are all family looking out for one another.
So just because my child has a "disability" doesn't mean that she can't be treated like a rock star or enjoy the perks of her "condition". I'm not selfish I just know if I treat my child like the rock star that I know she is she will feel it and expect it. Her behavior also reflects it. No she doesn't act like one of those bratty kids. The compliments that I get on her are that she's very well behaved. Remember in my past posts she hasn't always been so well behaved. That took a lot and I mean a lot of teaching her to behave in public and I was really blessed to have had a teacher that really helped to teach Dana to behave in public places.
I know this blog post is really long but it's stories like today's that are the reason why I do what I do. To teach parents that it's not impossible. Autism or not, life is not about treating these kids like they are the scum of the earth. Because they are not.
Have a great day guys.
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This is the picture that the news has posted regarding the girl with autism that was forced to stay in the basement forced to wear a diaper.
For those who don't know about this new story. Here is the link: http://fox8.com/2015/03/27/couple-accused-of-locking-teenage-daughter-in-basement-forcing-her-to-wear-diaper/
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