What "We are like your child" meanS
Well, for starters, "We Are Like Your Child" is the name of a great blog collection (see below). But it means more than that. Autism is a huge spectrum - when you know one autistic person, you know one autistic person.
What it's like to be autistic is different for every autistic person, sometimes in ways that are "obvious" to the public, sometimes in ways only felt internally by the individual. The world-at-large often directs the most attention and assistance at those most "obviously" affected by autism's challenges. But within this vast spectrum are people who, because they can talk, or type, or blog, or are simply adults, are often considered "not like my child" by parents of those who are non-speaking, not yet toilet trained, etc.
The thing is, when you take time to read their words, you they ARE like your child. They are your child grown up. Dig deep enough, and you find out the blogger you love didn't talk until they were 7, or wandered when they were a child, or lives in a care facility, or cannot toilet without help, or CAN speak but loses their words when under stress - the list goes on.
Autistic children don't stay children. They become autistic adults. They ARE like your child, and they are sharing their experiences to help others better manage the challenges that they have and are facing.
There is no better resource to understanding those in our lives who are on the spectrum than those who are on the spectrum themselves.
What it's like to be autistic is different for every autistic person, sometimes in ways that are "obvious" to the public, sometimes in ways only felt internally by the individual. The world-at-large often directs the most attention and assistance at those most "obviously" affected by autism's challenges. But within this vast spectrum are people who, because they can talk, or type, or blog, or are simply adults, are often considered "not like my child" by parents of those who are non-speaking, not yet toilet trained, etc.
The thing is, when you take time to read their words, you they ARE like your child. They are your child grown up. Dig deep enough, and you find out the blogger you love didn't talk until they were 7, or wandered when they were a child, or lives in a care facility, or cannot toilet without help, or CAN speak but loses their words when under stress - the list goes on.
Autistic children don't stay children. They become autistic adults. They ARE like your child, and they are sharing their experiences to help others better manage the challenges that they have and are facing.
There is no better resource to understanding those in our lives who are on the spectrum than those who are on the spectrum themselves.
In their own words
"Not that autistic"
by Mike Monje, Jr.
Sometimes, well-meaning but clueless people tell me that I must either be "not that autistic" or "mild" or some such because they didn't instantly clue in to my condition pre-disclosure. It happened a lot when my diagnosis was fairly new and I was first disclosing to my peers and coworkers. In a couple of cases, I even had family members that tried to tell me that my diagnosis was mistaken or that they did not see the traits, and since they'd known me so long, they would have picked up on them.
This essay is not about them. I don't harbor any long-term ill feelings about people who had one image of me finding it difficult to adjust their image. READ MORE
by Mike Monje, Jr.
Sometimes, well-meaning but clueless people tell me that I must either be "not that autistic" or "mild" or some such because they didn't instantly clue in to my condition pre-disclosure. It happened a lot when my diagnosis was fairly new and I was first disclosing to my peers and coworkers. In a couple of cases, I even had family members that tried to tell me that my diagnosis was mistaken or that they did not see the traits, and since they'd known me so long, they would have picked up on them.
This essay is not about them. I don't harbor any long-term ill feelings about people who had one image of me finding it difficult to adjust their image. READ MORE
We Are Like Your Child: So what is this?
This is a group blog of adult autistics (and the occasional allistic disabled person) who are successful...ish...by a definition of successful that means 'comfortable in our own skins, having lives that we find fulfilling'. We are undeniably autistic, we have difficulties, and we are unafraid to talk about our difficulties-and the creative problem solving we use to work with them. Our messages here are that it is ok to be disabled, it is ok to be disabled and like yourself, and that the stories of ubersuccessful highly privileged autistic folks who had every advantage are not the only stories out there. READ MORE
We Are Like Your Child: The Blog
by Emma's Hope Book
This is exactly the sort of blog I would have devoured, had it existed in 2004 the year Emma was diagnosed. The year when everything was so terrifying. The year I began, unsuccessfully, to look for adults who might give me insights into my child’s mind. We Are Like Your Child is created by those adults. I will be following eagerly and closely. Posts so far have included such topics as time agnosia, how one person dealt with having meltdowns as a child, routines and what happens when they are disrupted, and life skills.
A number of the blog’s creators agreed to answer a few of my questions. (Thank you everyone!) What follows is a group interview representing the many voices and points of view of its creators. READ MORE
This is a group blog of adult autistics (and the occasional allistic disabled person) who are successful...ish...by a definition of successful that means 'comfortable in our own skins, having lives that we find fulfilling'. We are undeniably autistic, we have difficulties, and we are unafraid to talk about our difficulties-and the creative problem solving we use to work with them. Our messages here are that it is ok to be disabled, it is ok to be disabled and like yourself, and that the stories of ubersuccessful highly privileged autistic folks who had every advantage are not the only stories out there. READ MORE
We Are Like Your Child: The Blog
by Emma's Hope Book
This is exactly the sort of blog I would have devoured, had it existed in 2004 the year Emma was diagnosed. The year when everything was so terrifying. The year I began, unsuccessfully, to look for adults who might give me insights into my child’s mind. We Are Like Your Child is created by those adults. I will be following eagerly and closely. Posts so far have included such topics as time agnosia, how one person dealt with having meltdowns as a child, routines and what happens when they are disrupted, and life skills.
A number of the blog’s creators agreed to answer a few of my questions. (Thank you everyone!) What follows is a group interview representing the many voices and points of view of its creators. READ MORE
You, yes you, need Autistic friends. by Radical Neurodivergence Speaking
So your child was just diagnosed with autism. Breathe. Breathe deeper. Relax. It'll all be ok. But you have some work to do.
The first thing you need to do isn't find therapists. It isn't commiserate with other parents. It isn't become an AAC expert (though all of these things have their place!). It's something not in the autism introduction packet: you need to connect on a human level with adults like your child. You need to go make some Autistic friends.
I don't mean a mentoring relationship, though those are extremely important and I am a big fan of mentoring (and mentoring your child & being friends with you are not mutually exclusive). I definitely don't mean "translate my child to me" (which is not a friend thing particularly). I mean find local Autistic adults with whom you have common interests and connect as equal human adult people. READ MORE
So your child was just diagnosed with autism. Breathe. Breathe deeper. Relax. It'll all be ok. But you have some work to do.
The first thing you need to do isn't find therapists. It isn't commiserate with other parents. It isn't become an AAC expert (though all of these things have their place!). It's something not in the autism introduction packet: you need to connect on a human level with adults like your child. You need to go make some Autistic friends.
I don't mean a mentoring relationship, though those are extremely important and I am a big fan of mentoring (and mentoring your child & being friends with you are not mutually exclusive). I definitely don't mean "translate my child to me" (which is not a friend thing particularly). I mean find local Autistic adults with whom you have common interests and connect as equal human adult people. READ MORE
Autistics Speaking Day: Forum to raise Autism awareness and Acceptance, and battle negative stereotypes about Autism. To advocate for the inclusion of Autistic people in the community. To offer a forum to broadcast our stories and thoughts, and to help the messages of Autistic people and non-Autistic allies reach as many people as possible.
