I live suspended between two realities. One world: at home and in our world of therapy clinics and loving people who dedicate their lives to working with children with special needs. Once through the heartache, this can be a beautiful place to be. (Recall the Welcome to Holland poem?)
The other world: one where a student with autism gets tazered by a police officer at school because 1) the school didn't follow the legally binding behavior plan that was in place and called the police when the student had a melt-down and 2) the officer that was dispatched didn't have training in how to deal with people with autism. This is the same world where a student on the spectrum was hit and killed by a bus at school because he was dropped off in the parking lot and had to walk through parked cars into a driving lane of oncoming traffic. Both of these horrible events have happened in my city in recent days.
I live suspended between having so much hope for our T's future and being so completely frightened by the world that doesn't understand him. It's an especially dangerous world for him, and it's ugly out there.
I will choose to continue to "look to the light, and keep looking there because there's way too much darkness" (a quote from a parent mentor, 80+ years old with a 50+ year old autistic son.) I must.
