Pick Me Up Real Lives: Stand Up For Autism
Wednesday 9th June 2010
We all have our funny ways. Some people love bananas on toast, others listen to country music when they do the housework. That's what makes us unique. But sometimes, my son, Bobby, 10, seemed a little too unique.
'Why can't he be like the other children?' I'd worried, ever since he'd started playgroup.
He was so quiet and not remotely interested in playing with the other kids.
But nothing could have prepared me for the day he decided to become a dog.
As he ran around on all fours, barking and snarling, I had a sinking feeling in my stomach.
Shame.
That's right, I was ashamed of my son. That didn't mean I didn't love him. I loved him more than anything in the world.
But one of the other mums must have noticed how awkward I looked, because she came over.
'Have you spoken to a doctor?' she asked quietly. 'I'm a nurse and I think Bobby could be autistic.'
In the past, doctors had assured me Bobby was just a slow developer. But I went back to my GP.
'He does have autism,' he confirmed after tests. 'He's going to need a lot of support. Simple changes will be difficult for him. He'll find it hard to interact with people he doesn't know and will rely on routine.'
In a way, I was relieved. But I was also out of my mind with worry.
'Is it my fault?' I asked. 'Would it be different if Bobby wasn't an only child, if I wasn't
a single mum?'
'It's not your fault,' he reassured me.
I settled Bobby into a routine, making sure he had his favourite cheese and ketchup sandwiches for lunch, letting him take a blob of Blu-Tack to bed and helping him check the smoke alarms every day.
As I lay awake at night, I started writing things down in a diary.
Before long, it became a record of how unique Bobby is. And life started getting easier.
Then it hit me. If writing my diary could help me, maybe reading it could help other parents.
So I sent it off to Jessica Kingsley Publishers and last year they agreed to publish it.
By the time you read this, Stand Up for Autism, will be on sale. I can't wait to see it on the shelves and neither can Bobby.
He deserves to be celebrated, and I'm so glad I finally found the way to do so.
Visit www.jkp.com