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We have a daughter with special needs though she does not have autism. Support groups can be useful for gathering information for various supports you or your child might be eligible for and the numerous hurdles put in your way when you try to access them. At the end of the day when you close your door in the evening you are on your own. Supports sound great but in the real life you travel the road with your child and unless you are in a similar situation you will not know what is involved. We all cope as best we can and do the best we can for our special gift we were given but we all worry about the future. Every one loves children even if they are a little different but in later years when they become adults it can be a different story. Anyone who has taken care of a parent with dementia will travel a road that is draining in many ways. Special needs adults will not find a lot of welcoming homes. So we all have that at the back of our minds as we age.
A child with special needs does help you put other things into perspective, like a leaky Land Rover.
Some years ago my wife got a phone call from a district nurse from the opposite end of the country. A woman had given birth to a child with special needs. The child had some serious health issues and did not have a long time to live. The mother was doing her best to feed the child and to enjoy the short time she would have with the child but was having difficulties. The nurse wanted to know if it was O.K. to give our phone number to the woman so that she could phone to talk to someone who had travelled this road. My wife said yes. In due course the woman phoned. I left the room as it was not an easy conversation to listen to.
Experts and doctors are all very well but sometimes if you need someone to talk only someone who has been on the journey can help.
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