Dealing With Questions About My Family and Autism

When people ask me questions about how we deal with Autism I always answer truthfully. It is quite easy.

How hard is it on your other children? It is not hard on my other children. We treat them according to age and how they understand and what works best for each children. Rebecca is turning 10 so she has 10 chores to do. She also gets grounded. Eric turning 7, has six rules once he turns 7 he will have 7 rules; 7 chores; and has a cool down time and not time out. Joseph age 2 has 2 chores and 2 rules. Rachael has nothing yet except just to be a baby.

Do you treat Eric differently than your other children? No. He has chores, rules, and expectations. He goes to school everyday, has the same schedule, and is treated no differently.

Do we leave Eric with a babysitter when we go out? No. Eric comes with us even to the crowded places. He is just watched for the signs of being over stimulated. We are vigilant that no one touches him.

What do we do if he has a meltdown in the store? We stay in the store and continue the shopping. Both me and Casey go to the store together. If Eric gets over stimulated Casey takes Eric out to the truck and waits for us to get finished shopping. If Eric is calmed he can come back into the store. If I have him alone then he stays in the cart or by my side. We never treat Eric any differently than any one else.

Do we stop the other kids from doing what they want to do? No. We go on trips, we go out, and we continue to have fun. We just go a slower pace or we plan the trips around the time it is not crowded.

Are you sure he is Autistic; he doesn't look Autistic? Yeah well you don't look stupid but apparently you are. There is no look to an Autistic child. It is not down syndrome it does not have a look. Not everyone who has Autism looks or acts the same. Every child is different.

People are surprised by how I answer the questions honestly and without thinking. It is easy for me to answer the questions because I treat Eric like he has Autism to a point. Like I have said before Autism is a crutch it can carry you or you can carry it. With the right tools and how I am raising Eric; Eric can carry his Autism and be what he wants to be in life. That is my only goal with Eric is to teach him that he can over come Autism and work in the FBI like he wants to.