Occasionally I catch a preview of Inside Edition, while watching Geberal Hospital, that grabs my attention so I record that too after GH. Tonight I watched I think it was Wednesdays episode (can't remember why now) and saw a story about Jenny McCarthy moving bank to Chicago. My first reaction is oh great, now she's going to be here full time spewing her "knowledge" of autism and letting everyone know how they too can cure their children. I don't blame Jenny for wanting to share her happy ending story, I would too if I had one, but I just don't want to see her all over the local news now because she's come back to town.
Anyhow it got me thinking about how she thinks she's an expert in Autism and how ibthink I know about the same amount if information she does and I don't claim to be an expert on Autism but I am an expert on Mitchell and his Autism. I know Mitchell inside and out and what makes him meltdown and what makes him cooperate. I know what strategies work for him and which ones don't. This is exactly what I would tell someone if they asked my opinion, not that they need to do everything we do or else their child will be a failure.
Right on cue, I get a FB message tonight from a gal I don't ever see anymore whose son has just been diagnosed. I am humbled the think people actually respect my opinion in the matter of Autism. I am happy to know I am an open book and have allowed people into our lives enough to see who we are and that we have stories to share and help to offer.
Messages like the one I receive confirm why I talk about Mitchell do much and how we as a family operate (disfunctional as it may be). I love that I can help someone else feel not so alone as others have done for me in the past and continue to do. I am not an Autism expert but I am an expert on who we are today, right now, being reeducated all the time.
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