1. I wish someone, somewhere on the famous “Google” would put “this is not a death sentence.” I know it sounds so wacky and probably over the top to some, but anytime some kind of diagnosis is presented, it’s just natural for parents to worry about the long term effects it could bring! I’ve mentioned it here before, but I myself, was uneducated about the world of ASD before we were catapulted in, like one of those pumpkin launchers at a pumpkin patch. And instantly worried that it somehow immediately changed his life expectancy. Don’t fall into this false narrative. And your child’s life is not “less than” because they have a diagnosis delivered.
2. I wish diagnosis came with a big mandatory packet of “this is what the hell you do next” inside it. After all those evaluations, and after the 500 fights to be really seen, there is no “next step.” There’s no pamphlet, or hand-out to instruct you on obtaining services for your child to help them excel. There’s no one holding a sign that says “Need assistance with funding all the incoming therapies and appointments necessary? We can help.” Not a one. There’s no, “Call (insert generic name) over at (whatever place) and they’ll answer any questions you have.” No one is there waiting around to see if you have questions. And trust me when I say, you’ll have hundreds. And that’s normal! Never be afraid to ask. Knowledge is power.
3. I wish there was no such thing as needing the “label” before any kind of assistance is “awarded” (often times it is even DENIED). *Sigh* Facts are facts. Help is help. And while there are so many, many things I wish I could change about the system itself, the main changes are ones I wish I could simply make in others. But not my boy.
4. I wish all persons were taught how to love like my Beckett. With no plan, no predisposition, no conditions. Just pure love.
5. I wish no one saw disabilities or differences first (or at all) and would simply see a person for how they treat others. For how they present themselves to the world through emotion. Just like my littlest love. Whether you can communicate with words, or use your body to speak, kindness is the easiest thing in the world to give and costs nothing.
6. I wish we could all let loose. Be silly, and giggly, and adventurous, long after childhood comes to a close. Just like my Beckett will.
7. And I wish everyone could find the joy in even the little things, like watching the dancing rain through the sunshine. Just like our boy.
