A Different Ability
” Autism is not a disability. It’s a different ability. ”
When you have a child who is suspected to be on the spectrum there is a flood of emotions that overcome you and you start to differentiate your child from ” Normal” children and their ability to grasp knowledge and achieve accomplishments. Will they ever have the fine motor skill to play sports? Will they advance in extra curricular activities? will they always be socially awkward? Will they always seem different?… Those thoughts start to scare you.
The day someone brings up Autism Is the day you feel a moment of impact.
You feel like you just lost someone and feel like mourning because your child will always have this disability.
You start to choose things like fear over faith, isolation over connection, pride over humility, Self over God, and anxiety over comfort.
We have a hard time seeing this “disability” as something other than that. A disability that will hinder your child and your life for years to come.
These are the first initial thoughts during your moment of impact and shock.
It is in these moments that we feel inadequate and we are fearful to walk forward. We fear not only our child’s ability but our own.
After spending a year ½ with Autism being a possibility for my little boy and then receiving the official diagnosis in October of 2019 my advice to you is to walk FAITHFULLY, not FEARFULLY.
Why not USE this obstacle to change your perspective?? There is a plan in store for you and your child! We all have an ability waiting to be discovered! WHY not give yourself and your child the gift of life? Through this perspective you will feel so much closer to the power of influence and development! WHY would the Lord not give this PRIVILEGE to you?
He wants you to evolve in life.
When you look at it this way your child don’t seem so different after all. We all have different abilities waiting to flourish! How will you nurture your ability to grow as a parent? How will you ensure your child reaches their highest potential and using their abilities to be successful?
Isn’t it in these moments we have a shift and we open our minds to all possibilities? You instantly feel like your circumstances have become a gift, the moment you decide them to be.
It is then that we see HIS faithfulness and promises. Most times I feel like I can reach out and touch them. His faithfulness is in the eyes of my son, who beams with light full of life and sweetness. I see it inside my own spirit because I started to believe in my own ability as a special needs mom and if you just can’t believe in your own adequacy right now, I will believe in it for you because I know you can do this! Your child can do this! ❤️
Ashlee porter is a stay at home mom to a three year old little boy who was recently diagnosed with Autism. She has been married for 7 years. In her free time she loves connecting with other mamas, blogging and advocating for Autism/ Sensory Processing Disorder, and enjoys spending time with her family!!
’You start to choose things like fear over faith, isolation over connection, pride over humility, Self over God, and anxiety over comfort.’ Truthfully this hit home for me! The way you described this made me reflect on my own hardships and doing these things made me feel less peace in my life! Thank you for sharing this perspective. It has made me think of this quote speaking about heartache and struggles…”the price we paid to become acquainted with God was a privilege”. Truthfully when we see things in the perspective of it being a privilege instead of thinking ‘why is this happening to me’… life becomes joyful no matter what our circumstances are! ????