The World I Want for My Neurodiverse Child

As a parent of a child with autism spectrum disorder, I spend a fair proportion of my time reading about neurodiversity. What seems evident from the copious websites and books is the diagnostic approach of “signs and symptoms” seems to dominate the literature. I’ve seen limited celebration of what makes autism unique, and even less advice and support for those with a diagnosis. It saddens me to think my children will have to live in this categorical world that hands out diagnoses and then offers no support.

I don’t believe any person goes through the ordeal of getting a diagnosis without hoping there will be some advice and support offered off the back of it. Sadly, for many people — including in my experience with my daughter on the autism spectrum — this is not always the case. Many people are left no better after receiving a diagnosis than they were before. Many are given a report that lists evident struggles and told there is nothing they can do about it. I do not want my children to grow up in this kind of world; there needs to be a better way.

What I do want for my children is for them to grow to believe that being neurodiverse is an amazing way of thinking and living. I want my children to feel that individual quirks should be celebrated, not masked — and I want them to know that “different” isn’t just OK, but being different is amazing. I want them to embrace their differences and celebrate their uniqueness. Because I believe harnessing what is different can make the world a more interesting place to live.

I hope in the future schools will appreciate these “different” thinkers and focus on their strengths. I hope communities will rise together to educate the world on how difference is incredible and should be nurtured and embraced. I want my children to be talked about for what makes them truly stand out: their amazing caring qualities and their loving nature. I want a world where once a diagnosis is given, people are then supported and given strategies to enhance their daily lives. A world in which every person who leaves a psychologist’s office is armed with better coping strategies than when they arrived.

But most of all, what I want for my children is for them to live in a world where they feel happy to be who they are. I understand the lists of challenges are there for diagnosis purposes, but once they are grouped and analyzed, I feel the focus needs to shift away from this towards finding positive outcomes. This world doesn’t need any more “signs and symptoms”; what the world needs is more strategy and understanding. I hope together we can pave the way to make this future a reality.

Image via Thinkstock.

We want to hear your story. Become a Mighty contributor here.