I have two children. They are the loves of my life, the center of my universe and the air I breathe. My son, Angus, is a typical boy of 2 1/2: rowdy, funny, loud. My daughter, Ella, is a typical girl of 5 1/2: gorgeous, loves the color pink and My Little Ponies. She is also autistic.
We are very fortunate to live in a town that has superb Special Ed services in the public system. One of the perks of our school system is that they offer free parenting workshops, classes and on going course series to parents of mainstream students as well as Special Ed students. Last week I began a 6 week course on Positive Parenting. I had assumed that this was another course for parents of autistic children. It was not. At the beginning of the class we had to tell of our greatest pleasure and disappointment in parenting. I was last. My greatest pleasure is seeing my children become more creative musically and enjoying music. My greatest disappointment is autism, with a capital A. As I explained this to the class of parents (and one set of grandparents), I broke down and cried unexpectedly. Having thought about that, I think it is time I share some of our family's journey with others.
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