Let Them Show Us the Way

When you have a child diagnosed with autism, at some point you will be told all the things they may never do or achieve.

Whether it’s from a friend of a friend, a medical professional, an educator, the internet, or an evaluation where you spend hours filling in little bubbles next to questions that cut you like a knife.

The limits will be placed.

I wish it didn’t happen. I wish instead we were told about how yes, it will be different, and yes there may be parts of development that will be delayed or never happen…but our kids are also lifelong learners. And timelines no longer matter. So stop obsessing over them.

Let them grow and learn and figure it out.

Last night as we waited for a thunderstorm, my son Cooper acted out the storm scene from The Good Dinosaur.

He ran and dashed and felt the wind on his face and gasped at the clouds.

He was Arlo, the main character. I was the daddy dinosaur. Who sadly doesn’t survive.

I watched my sweet boy hold his head in his hands and fake cry for a second.

Then giggle at his own creativity.

It was quite the scene and I laughed out loud at numerous points of his production.

I was seeing real joy.

I remember being told that he would never have creative play. They said it was too late to develop it. They. They said. They said a lot of things.

I guess my point is…I grieved creative play. I did. I cried tears over the black and white world I was told he would have.

Silly now. Because he is one of the most creative, colorful, unique kids I know. Just in his own way.

I think it’s important as moms and dads to relax a bit. And let our kids show us the way.