Facebook post

Something slightly different for today I watched a programme earlier today called "My child's not perfect" and was inspired to write a rather long facebook post. This is that post:

"My child's not perfect" Just watched this programme on replay after a friend recomended it. It's about time people were made more aware of children with special needs. They are not naughty kids nor do they need a good slap to straighten them out. They need love, patience, and understanding. A lot of people will watch the programme and have sympathy for the child and their family and tomorow will forget everything they watched the night before. I and several of my friends will not because we live with this every day. Here is the truth of Autism I am regulary physicaly abused by my son Brad so are his 2 brothers. Brad has even nearly been arrested for his violence towards us. I am called all the names under the sun usaly something along the lines of you stupid fat ugly bitch, I hate you I wish you would die, you are the worst mother in the world. Then comes the remorse for these actions I hate myself, Im the worst son in the world, I want a new brain, I want to kill myself, someone get a gun and shoot me. You have no idea how hard it is to hear such things from your 13 year old son whom you love more than life itself. No idea how hard it is to have to physicaly restrain your child to prevent him from hurting himself and others and yes I have had to do this in public before now. None of this is Brads fault he did not ask to be born this way and I know for sure he hates being autistic, he hates being different to his peers, he hates being stared at in the street, and he hates being abused by the very children he should be out playing with. My son has been called freak, weirdo, retard, inbreed, simple, thicko, knob, told to fuck off, piss off, get stuffed, go away. He has been mugged preventing him from going to our local shop alone any more. He has been exposed at by children where we live. This is not limited to children I have found adults to be the worst offenders when it comes to verbal abuse. Just 2 days ago a young girl in the shop was staring at Brad because he was doing one of his tics Brad asked her very polietly " please stop staring at me I dont like it " only to recieve a load of verbal abuse from the girls mother about not being nasty to girls and if he did not want people to stare at him he should stop being such a freak. What about you teaching your daughter not to stare at people who are different. Im damn sure if Brad had been in a wheelchair and asked the same thing he would have got nothing but sympathy from the mother. How I have kept my hands to myself over the years is beyond me. I have lived with Autism for nearly 14 years now and am now going through it all over again with my youngest son Brandon. I am not telling you all this because I want sympathy far from it I hate it when people pity us save your pity for someone who needs it because for all the bad times we go through we also have some pretty darn great times and even moments of clarity where Brad is almost "normal" what ever that is. I am sharing all this in the hope that it will educate people and make people think twice before they jump in with their nasty comments and torrent of abuse. The next time you see a child being "naughty" in the street stop and think maybe they are not being naughty at all maybe they have an underlying condition MAKING them behave that way. Rather than mock, judge and make comments on what a useless mother and naughty child they are offer to help. Hold their shoping or watch their other children so they are free to give the time and attention that child needs to calm down. Ask them about their childs condition instead of speculating I know for a fact if someone came up to me and asked me about it I would gladly tell them everything they want to know. That is why im sharing all this more awarness needs to raised about these beautifull special children why should they suffer due to others ignorance. To my special little boys you may not be perfect but I love you just the way you are xx xx xx

Much Love
Claire xx xx xx