As a mother of an autistic child, I am happy to hear stories about children overcoming autism because glimpses of hope for your own child come from such positive stories.
I have noticed a pattern in most of the stories; the children have "mild autism" or "Aspergers." I do not discount these cases as a valid form of autism, but I have found that resources available to families of autistic children do not extend beyond these cases. Early intervention is crucial for autistic children to lead independent lives. We as parents are responsible for finding what is going to help them be independent. Yet we are fighting with pharmacies, insurance companies, specialists and schools for what should be the rights of all children. It shouldn't be a struggle.
Autism does not discriminate who it affects. Most of us cannot afford private intervention, so what are our choices? We rely on the public schools, which seem only capable of handling mild cases. Very few seem to know how to educate a child with a more severe case. Is the system at fault for not properly educating its staff? Is it an inconvenience to have children with more needs in the classroom?
We as parents worry about what is going to happen to our children when they are adults. Who will care for them? Will they be just a number or a statistic in a facility? They are someone's loved one, and they deserve what all other individuals do.
We need to advocate for these children. With proper intervention, they have the potential to live a high quality of life. If only they would be given the same chance we all deserve and to which we are entitled.
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Amanda Stark
Duluth
