Dear Autism Mom

This letter of hope and encouragement is to all the Autism Moms out there.

I see your struggles. I understand your worries.

From one Autism Mom to another, here’s my Dear Autism Mom Letter.

Dear Autism Mom,

Let’s face it; life has thrown you a few loops and curves over the past few years (or months or days).

You’ve had a tough road. Some days are up, and some days are down.

Having a child on the spectrum is not something other moms understand completely.

Sometimes you feel like a complete failure, and other times you feel like you can conquer the world (like when you walk out of the IEP meeting after getting everything on your must-have list!).

I’m here to remind you and me of a few things:

You are Awesome

The mere fact that you are reading this means you are an awesome mother.

Even in those quiet moments, in the times when all through the house, not a mouse is stirring, you are reading and researching about Autism and ways to help your child.

Do you know how incredibly awesome you are?

Every Child has a Purpose.

You may never know the exact purpose of your child or how your child impacts this world, but with you as a mother, your child is going to rock this world!

Whether it’s that one outburst in the store that changes the mind of a judgmental parent or brings awareness to your city, there’s a purpose. You never know the trust and love your child can bring a complete stranger.

It just may save their life.

With your child’s deep analytical skills and one mind focus, they may be what our world needs for a cure for cancer, advanced technology, or tools to improve our planet. 

The world keeps spinning, and although you may not see it, your child has a purpose.

It Gets Easier { I think…}

It may not seem like it will ever get easier, but it does. Looking back a few years or even a few months, you can see your child’s positive changes.

Maybe it’s your child’s ability to communicate from no words to two words.

That’s an improvement worth congratulating!

Maybe it’s a behavior plan finally working at school; congratulate yourself because you helped your child reach this goal.

It tears my eyes how far we have come with our boys. I remember listening to everything we were told they couldn’t do.

I laid in bed many nights, wondering if my boys would ever talk. Would they utter the words, “I love you, Mom?”

You are a Constant

You are your child’s strength, their biggest love, and the one person they can trust no matter what.

You, Autism Mom, are loved beyond knowledge.

Your child is flourishing, learning, changing, adapting, and improving with you.

You are your child’s constant; if all else fails, you are their rock. Never forget how much you mean to them.

You are Strong

Raising children, in general, can be difficult, but having a child on the spectrum requires even more strength.

The more that gets thrown your way, the more you keep going, reading, learning, and teaching.

You have strength beyond most others. Whatever is set out to conquer you makes you stronger!

Forget perfect. Forget normal.

I don’t know what or who defines normal in our world, but toss those two words out of the window.

There is no perfect Mom, and there is no normal life. Those myths were made up by someone who wanted to be perfect and normal but realized they could never achieve those things because they don’t exist. Again, trust me on this.

I have tried to find a normal life and be the perfect Mom.

Here’s what happened; I failed miserably. I was stressed out in attempting to make my family, my boys with Autism, normal.

I put pressure on them by trying to make them fit into what society thought of them.

One day the light bulb popped up, and I quickly realized I was causing much of this stress and pressure.

Your child was not born to fit in; they were born to stand out.

You are Helping Others

Until you go through it yourself, you never know how many mothers are going through this same thing.

Every obstacle you go through is one more piece of advice you have to help others on this journey.

The more you read, the more you talk, and the more you tell your story, the more inspiration you have to give to other moms. Trust me on this!

Read 28 things Autism Parents wish you would know {share this one with others!}

We all need each other to lean on and support. Remember that each challenge is one more gift you get to help other mothers overcome every obstacle in their way.

When you feel like giving up, remember you are one step closer to the next goal, the next breakthrough.

Autism Mom, you don’t know the light and effect you have on your child, family, the school, and others around you.

Autism Mom, you are special, you are strong, you are helping, and YOU ARE AWESOME! Never forget that.

You will make it, and it’s going to be ALRIGHT.

The more tough decisions you make, and the more you go through, the stronger you become.

Love yourself because you are doing the best you can do!

Be sure to check out some of these Autism resources:

What is High-Functioning Autism?

How A Dog Can Be Therapeutic For Kids With Autism

20+ Sensory Activities For Kids With Autism