11 Feb Spending time with your autistic child

Spending time with your autistic child can make all the difference – not just for your child, but for you as their parent.

My daughter is different – she is what they refer to as “classic autistic”. Her ways are so different to the way the world wants us all to be. For me – Quality time with Madi means a total escape from the realities of the neurotically accepted and stressful world we are all forced to conform with.

The rain in Johannesburg over the weekend was the perfect excuse for an “autistic day”. No getting in my car to run errands, no shops and centers – just a family, lazy day indoors and let me tell you it was again exactly what my soul needed.

On days like Saturday I again realize how blessed I am to have such a special teacher. Madi does not rush, her life is not dictated by a watch, she does not care about having the perfect hairstyle, her weight or about posting selfies to show off a new set of nails or a plate of food in a ridiculously overpriced restaurant. Her life is not about what other people think or says or wants. Her life is about what makes her happy and I personally think we can all learn from her and all those like her. Because life is far too short not to.

So much of life passes us Neurotypicals because we never stop long enough to just enjoy what we have to our disposal. We rush around, irritated and frustrated and so often pursue earthy quests just to say “we fit in” and for what?

We Neurotypicals spend the majority of our time on projects, planning, work and people that add not real value to our lives and we are always to busy to “visit” with those nearest and dearest. Social media has taken the place of real human interaction and when we are together smart phone technology is always in the middle. And society says: “agh shame she is autistic” …. On days like Saturday I feel “agh shame I am Neurotypical”.