But He Doesn't Look Autistic?
👁🤷♂️ But He Doesn't Look Autistic?👁🤷♂️ #IAmMe
Something that gets said quite often to us about Dylan is that he 'doesn't look autistic' or that 'you wouldn't know he has autism' ... Or even ' are you sure he's just not a little bit behind with his development'. 🙄 I don't quite know what people want us to say back to these sorts of comments?? For one , getting your head around autism initially is no easy process so to add this kind of stress to a parent is crazy! Is there supposed to be a look for autism? What does that even mean? ' 💥Silly us we've got it all wrong?! 💥 He can't be autistic because he's affectionate is another one!! The list is endless.
It's the very obvious general lack of understanding that autism is a spectrum, that causes such a barrier between people really being able to connect and identify with the condition, and knowing how to inclusively integrate those on the spectrum. There is no one size fits all. Simply a pattern of behaviours and emotions that can help to identify someone with autism. We are not all ' a little bit autistic'. Just because you might see him on a good day , it doesn't mean the bad days don't exist.Or that we are holding him back by 'labelling' him too young. It just means he is learning to self regulate and we are aware of what makes life a little easier for Dyl. The judgement, in whatever form, frequently placed upon people on the spectrum and their families supporting them doesn't have a place in 2018. It's an out of date concept and causes a lot of harm. Just because you can't always see it, it doesn't mean it isn't there. It doesn't define Dylan but it is a part of him and helps make up who he is. The ups and downs.
⭐Autism for us as a family looks like a beautiful soul who is super loving to everyone he meets and is incredibly aware of the everyday details and moments in life. It's strength. It's passion. It's feeling what you need to feel when you feel it. It's expressing emotions deeply. It's stopping to spot a flower, a pattern on a leaf, realising the moon is still up during the day, hearing a grasshopper sing or being so in the moment, you feel as 'You' as You can possibly be. ⭐Simply magic!
#misstrout #IAmMe #ThisCouldBeDyl #celebrateautism #neurologicaldifferences #talkaboutit #mblogger #pblogger
