Last updated on December 2nd, 2023 at 09:41 pm
As a mother of ten kids, including three sets of twins, you would think I would have had parenting covered. At the age of three, within my oldest set of multiples, my son was diagnosed with mild/moderate autism with the ability to speak and communicate, along with ADHD. With all that being said, I wish that someone would have told me the following ten things about parenting a child with special needs.
- A lot of people just didn’t understand why my child was different and would blame it on my parenting skills or lack thereof.
- I would have quite a few mommy melt-downs. I’m not ashamed to admit that difficult outings to places like the library can be devastating experiences.
- I would constantly be making sure that my son got the proper education and fair treatment that he needed, and constantly fighting to keep him in a regular classroom. If your child needs special attention, then he should get it. My son is very bright and doesn’t need to be in special education classes.
- It’s okay to ask for and accept help. There are actually places like Easter Seals that offer parents of special needs children’s respite care to give the guardians a little break. This was greatly appreciated by my husband and I. We had a great team of sitters that would come over and give us a four-hour date night. A lot of couples have difficulties in their relationship because of the stress that comes with parenting a special needs child.
- Autism has many faces. It doesn’t mean that your child is crippled for life and cannot be a part of normal activities. My son happens to be the smartest kid in his class and helps his classmates get the correct answers.
- Medication, if it is needed, can be a long trial-and-error process.
- Note-taking is okay. It’s good to have your own way of doing things. It’s also okay to make mistakes or try something more than once. Parenting is all about trial and error.
- No one really knows about autism, how it is caused and where it comes from. Everyone has their suspicions and conclusions. It is forever a learning topic.
- Having a child with special needs and having other children can be a very challenging situation. It’s okay to have a child that is different. My family functions just fine, and I treat my son just like I treat my other children. If I need to make changes or special arrangements, then I do it.
- Every day is a learning experience. You might not have all the answers to your situation, but do what works best for you, your family, and what’s best for your child.
I believe that parenting a special needs child can be done without all the headache. All you need is perseverance, and the ability to keep at it until you master it.
By Natalie Umphery.
