"My 8 year old son is going to begin testing in a few weeks. I'm not
sure if he has high functioning autism or not, but he sure has many of
the behaviors and tendencies. He does have sensory issues and severe
anxiety. My question is about the constant judgment and ignorance of
other parents and teachers. I do have plenty of supportive friends, but
recently I've had some intense altercations with my son's teacher
(saying he's only "oppositional" with me, he's fine at school and this
is "something I need to work out in therapy"). Her comment was so
ignorant - she knew nothing about his level of anxiety, his sensory
issues or how he melts at the end of each day after just trying to hold
it together. I also had another mom leave our playdate the other day
because of inappropriate behavior (slamming a door b/c of frustration).
She couldn't believe I let that happen. Ugh!! My parents and even
husband have called me a pushover and too "soft" with my son. I feel
like ALL of the blame is put on me!! I look forward to getting some
answers through testing so I can educate others about the extreme
difficulty and unpredictable nature of parenting a child with these
challenges. It has been a very lonely and deflating parenting
experience. Does anyone else have this experience or advice? Thank You!"
