How Can I Help "Them" Understand? My bad day...

My little eight year old boy Trae has Autism. I often feel that I am doing something no one else is willing to do (maybe self righteous, but how I keep going). Last night he had a friend stay the night. I had the two boys run errands with me in the morning, including a HUGE battle w/ my cell phone company where the lady just started yelling at me! Trae is having a really good day, and behaves himself quite well. We go to the pool, which was packed. Bad news for an Autistic kid... well, Trae is not violent at all, but after being pushed around the pool for a good hour or so, he became offensive, just pushing anyone who came near... including some junior high boys I though were going to squash him right there.

We get home, and Trae goes over to his friends who lives across the street behind us. We live in a very small town, where Trae is by far not the only child that runs loose, although when Trae goes it is b/c he has run away.

Next thing I know, he comes running in the back door, crying and panting and there is a big bang at the front door. My first thought was omg what did he break.. well, it was a lady I have never seen before. She did a thorough ringing me out over my lack of supervision and how she doesn't know what's going on over here but... well, I tried to tell her, what a good mom I am trying to be. Tried to tell her how I quit my job to stay home with him, and take him to therapy appointments. I tried to tell her that the police and DHS were well aware of the situation and neither one told me they could help. I tried to tell her how she could help by donating to the Autism service dog that Trae is getting in the spring...

Of course, she didn't listen, instead she had the audacity to tell me how his running through her yard put HER life in turmoil.

She chased him home screaming about how she was going to call the cops, petrifying the little guy who never understood what he did wrong.

I guess I will pray for her tonight. It seems to be the only thing I can do.. I have a feeling people like that need it.

Sorry for venting, thanks for reading,

Lindsey

No problem with venting. We all need those moments.

You need some funny Autism t-shirts for people like that:

http://www.cafepress.com/buy/autism/-/pv_design_prod/ id_25051387/p_storeid.209044786/pNo_209044786

http://www.cafepress.com/buy/autism/-/pv_design_prod/ p_storeid.124445636/pNo_124445636/id_17075028/opt_/pg_/c_/ fpt_

http://www.cafepress.com/buy/autism/-/pv_design_prod/ p_storeid.137891680/pNo_137891680/id_19886233/opt_/pg_/c_/ fpt_

http://www.cafepress.com/buy/autism/-/pv_design_prod/ p_storeid.116908852/pNo_116908852/id_18945774/opt_/pg_/c_/ fpt_

http://www.cafepress.com/buy/autism/-/pv_design_prod/ p_storeid.152656067/pNo_152656067/id_20813539/opt_/pg_/c_/ fpt_

Sometimes you just need to vent and get it all out. That woman is obviously ignorant. I cant believe that she still treated you that way even after you explained everything. You are right all we can do is pray for people like that.

Motherofboys,

Those t-shirts are awesome. There were two of them that explain my daughter, Layla, to a T. Thanks for sharing.

Kristi

Your son was being your son he is not bad but some people just can not except anything other than "normal" and of course our kids are very deceptive in there looks.

People like her will never a ccept and that is the war you will have to face every day.It seems to me that he was copying the other children and what they was doing though he may have done it out of sheer frustration the fact remains he was trying to be like them and it was not working. My heart goes out to him I know only to well that feeling of living behind glass seeing and hearing but just not touching.

You will grow a thicker skin and so will your child.

you are doing a great job god bless

shell xxx

Thank you, everyone..

Lindsey