Reading the Wrong Parenting Book

Three weeks ago, I was invited over email by Joyla Ofrecia to a Seminar that was held yesterday. At first I was hesitant if I would have to but since I thought that my husband's paycheck was able to stretch out for me to pay the fee, I gave in. I decided to attend only a week after Eli's diagnosis, and only informed Miss Joyla on Friday night of my attendance.

Since this case is pretty new to me and my family, I thought to get as much as needed information about how to help my son manage his behavior and his condition.


It was an eye opener. Things are becoming to be more real to me now. I learned a lot and hope be able to apply them all. I don't mean to be such a perfectionist, but I'm going to have to deal with an early intervention here and there's still a long way to go.

Being a parent of a child with special needs means I've been reading the wrong parenting book all along, because most parenting books are made for those parents with what they term as "normal" while my kid is considered as a person with autism. I am just glad that there are now raised awareness for children with special needs like mine.

Although my child would look normal on the outside, I have to take into consideration that its not me who is a having a hard time, but my child is. The world is too much for an autistic person like my child. Me, I grew up totally fine even in chaos. Last minute changes in plans are normal to me, I'm flexible, I can deal with it, but not my son. For a person with autism, last minute changes in the routine creates anxiety, therefore Eli will get confused.

My son has already had enough of our world, and it's my turn to get into his. A friend who teaches in special education school told me that she sees Eli as a person who is at the higher end of the spectrum. The smart ones, the one who can be trained, the ones who can excel. I'm glad she sees it that way, because the doctor has not yet labeled him anything yet from any of the ASD category which is totally fine. I also hope his future evaluations will prove that he is, because I can also see that he can.

Yesterday, while I was sitting and listening in the seminar, I thought to myself, My son is normal in his own world. He may not be perfect, but God sees him perfectly... and he is!