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Hudson Valley Parent 7
so sweet,' 'but he's so smart,' 'but he's so
perfect', etc. That's when I realized the
power and importance of the word. My
guy is sweet and smart and perfect and
has Apraxia."
Our children's diagnosis shouldn't be
the only thing you see, but it is still a part
of them and their daily lives. Be open to
communication about it. Ask questions
and learn about how to form a better
relationship with the parents and child
by becoming informed, more open, and
more understanding.
Rielly Grey is a part-time writer and full-time
mama to an adorable son with autism.
…give that mama and her scream-
ing child some space. Actually, the best
support you could offer are words of
encouragement to give her the strength
she needs.
Don't hush your child when they
ask questions. One day at the park, a
little girl was trying to play with my son,
but he kept repeating everything she
said. When she looked to me for an ex-
planation, I simply said that sometimes
he doesn't know what to say so he just
repeats others (echolalia). This bright
little girl thought about it for a moment
and replied, "Oh, so it's like his way of
talking," and then just went right back to
playing with him. This was such a genu-
ine, beautiful moment for
us.
Instead of staring…
…just as we teach our
children about the big
world around them, we
want to teach the world
about our children.
My son's diagnosis is
just part of him. When
her son was first getting
his diagnosis, Jessica from
Middletown noticed the
people closest to her
seemed to have a hard
time coming to terms with
the fact that there was
something else there. She
recalls, "We'd hear 'but he's
