Hello, Dear Reader!
If you are on this site, it means that the word “autism” has become a part of your life. You have a child or grandson, brother, or sister who has this diagnosis, and possibly autism is related to your specialty. I am the mom of an autistic child. I remember very well how much I was confused. My husband and I experienced a collapse and a categorical rejection of the diagnosis. But everyone always has a choice, even when it seems that there is none. Our children, whether they have autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosis or not, came into this world to change us as adults.
You can accept autism as a ‘punishment’, feeling unhappy and offended for the whole world. But you can take this fact as a challenge and a chance for change. Yes, you will have to work hard: you will become an expert in immunology, healthy eating, neurophysiology, psychology, sensing and many other fields of science. Some of you will even change a profession – become an educator or speech therapist; someone will open a therapy center or a kindergarten for children with ASD, as I did; someone will defend the rights of special children. I know it because I went through this.
Of course, there is another way. For example, you can create a beautiful ‘dollhouse’ for your child, where he will be cozy and feel comfortable every day… But as you know, we live in a difficult and constantly changing world and the sooner you prepare a child for real life, the faster he learns to live in it.
My son was diagnosed in Israel in 2010. And there, when he was two and a half years old, I was told that he would never be able to study in a regular school. Now he is the 8th-grade student of a school with an advanced English studying. He is a class monitor with 30 pupils in it and the head of several school projects. Is it difficult for him? Yes, it is. Is it difficult for me? Yes, it is.
An autistic child perceives changes in a special way. It is difficult to build relationships with classmates, he often becomes a bullying victim, etc. Yes, you will have to learn how to understand your child without words. Yes, you will explain to him what other children do not need to be explained. From time to time you will give up, you will wait, wait and wait, and then … And then you will feel incredible happiness and delight about your child’ smallest achievements because only you will know how much effort was put on his first “mom” and “dad” in his gentle embrace and games with other children.
All parents rejoice in their child’ success. But the joy of parents of an autistic child, believe me, is million times greater. Not every person gets a chance to feel such a great happiness, but you have this chance.
I am often being asked: “What did you do?” I will reveal a secret: Love, Trust, Patience, Understanding, and Hard Work.
I sincerely wish you and your children health and success! Get to work!
Respectfully yours,
Inna SERGIYENKO,
mother of an autistic boy,
founder of the ‘Child with a Future; INGO,
‘Autism-Europe’ Consul