Parenting High-Functioning Autism

There it was like a punch to the gut. Jackson, my sweet, whitty, child on the spectrum came to me and was no longer that little boy. He was growing up, getting older and wiser by the minute. I truly believe that he is smarter than me. But…back to the point of this post. It was after a long day at school that wasn’t ideal due to some frequent outbursts Jackson was experiencing, that he looked at me still very much not in a good place, he screamed while pulling his hair, “why me, what is wrong with my brain?” My son at that moment realized his brain was different. A brain I deem a gift from God, he sees as flawed. A burst of emotion hit me, all I could do in that moment was cry and rub his head. I needed a strategy in that moment that wasn’t in some playbook for parenting a kid on the spectrum. What was I going to say to him that would take away his pain? Would I make it worse or better? Who was to blame for this? After I composed myself, I thought about what I would tell another parent in my shoes. It was time to educate Jackson about Autism, but not just Autism in general. It was time to sit my son down for the first time and educate him on his Autism. I told him about how smart his brain is, and showed him the greats in the world on the spectrum that went on to create amazing things. His eyes grew bigger and his emotions came down. I told him, you too will make a difference. That evening ended, but this conversation was far from over… stay tuned!