Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Siblings, Wonderful Siblings

As any mother of a special needs child knows, life is a balancing act.  And if that life includes more children, it gets even more complicated.  I struggle to make sure that my other children are getting enough attention and one-on-one time.  I don't want them to have to give up their dreams, but I also know that they are learning so much by having this special soul as their brother: patience, love, understanding, care-giving, etc... My older children came to me last night with something they had been working on, and said that I could share it on my blog.

Things We've Learned by Sibs of an Autistic Kid

1.  It's more frustrating and difficult than people think.

2.  It's different from the outside looking in.

3.  You have to be patient.

4.  You have to treat them like everybody else.

5.  You have to learn about them and how they communicate.

6.  You can't expect them to adapt to the way you live; you have to try to understand what they're going through.

7.  When you have an autistic sibling, you have many obligations that weren't there before.  You have to learn to put family first in a whole new way.

8.  It makes it easier when you educate yourself about ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder).

9.  Talk with your family members about what you're going through.  You're in this together and they can be support.

10.  Remember to trust God.  He's looking at a bigger picture that would blow your mind.

11.  It can be hard to adjust to having an autistic sibling; denial is often present, but trying to accept it helps a lot.

12.  Remember to make the most of these learning experiences.

13.  LOVE, UNCONDITIONAL LOVE, can fill in the gaps of frustration and confusion.

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