I promised in "Parent to Parent" to not be politically correct but honest.
So, honestly, we as parents get a raw deal. Doctors doom our children, filling our heads with negativity. Schools consider us a pain and some how "less than" because we have hurt children. The media misrepresents our children and us. How are we then to live?
I think the only way is honorably and honestly. I am not in favor of action or words that are hate filled. But I am in favor of speaking truth. I realize that because of the passion behind our hope for our children, the line between direct honestly, and angry speech is thin, thread thin .
But parents of children with autism have been forced into silence for too long, victims of a disease that has silenced not only their children but themselves. The few who do speak are often so heartbroken, they speak angrily and appear without reason. We simply must find a balance. The truth about the hope for our children must be told. False statements and inappropriate behavior on the part of all who treat them must be revealed. But for us to be heard, we must have reason. Otherwise, in the view of others, we are just emotionally damaged parents speaking out, maybe we are even a little crazy from our pain, and while others may feel sorry for us, they will never listen to us.
Think about this. Don't be silent. Don't be ugly. Do be honest. Do be passionate.
My heart is with you,
Katherine Lee