Did God Forget About Me?-Raising Children With Disabilities.Sýnishorn

Mourn The Loss

Raising a child with autism can be a difficult journey for any parent. We often have certain expectations for our children and certain ideas of who they might be and how they might grow. When it becomes clear that our child is living with autism, this can be difficult to come to terms with. It is important to acknowledge our feelings in this situation and take time to grieve over what we had imagined for our children’s futures.

Grieving is a healthy and normal process in any situation that causes us to think, “If only….” We may feel sad that our child will not attend the same extracurricular activities or experience the same milestones as other children their age. We may feel overwhelmed by all the differences we must now face and all the new challenges we’ve been presented with. It may not seem easy to accept that our child’s life and development will differ from what we had imagined.

It is important to allow ourselves this time to grieve, as it can be a powerful way of helping to cope with the changes the diagnosis brings. Many parents are not prepared for the challenge of raising a child with special needs, so naturally, they have difficulty coming to terms with it. It is perfectly okay to mourn the loss of what could have been and to talk about it openly with family and close friends. We can even find comfort in talking to other parents who are going through a similar experience.

It is okay to feel overwhelmed and emotional at times. After we have taken the time to sit with these emotions, we can move forward in our parenting journey with renewed strength. Once we have accepted the changes and allowed ourselves the needed time to grieve, we can begin to focus on the positives. We can build our strength through increased knowledge of autism and the many tools and strategies available to help our child succeed.

Raising a child with autism can be challenging, but with support, love, and understanding, it can also be an incredibly rewarding experience. Taking time to grieve over the ideas we had for our child allows us to make room for new possibilities and hope.