You Are Your Child’s Greatest Advocate: A Poem

You are your child’s greatest advocate when they need a diagnosis.

You are your child’s greatest advocate the day they are diagnosed with autism.

You are your child’s greatest advocate the day they begin receiving supports.

You are your child’s greatest advocate to be there the days they go through challenges.

You are your child’s greatest advocate when they need understanding.

You are your child’s greatest advocate when they go to school for the first time.

You are your child’s greatest advocate if your child is ever bullied.

You are your child’s greatest advocate when anyone doesn’t understand that you have to educate others about the way your child learns.

You are your child’s greatest advocate if they ever fall on a wait-list for supports.

You are your child’s greatest advocate when people don’t understand that you have to meet your child he or she is.

You are your child’s greatest advocate when you enter IEP meetings.

You are your child’s greatest advocate when they may need accommodations outside of the school.

You are your child’s greatest advocate to help them transition to adulthood.

You are your child’s greatest advocate when the school bus stops coming after the age of 21.

You are your child’s greatest advocate to make sure they have a village that surrounds them for their entire life.

You are your child’s greatest advocate for 500 other some-odd reasons that aren’t listed here. If you’ve met one person with autism you’ve met one person with autism, and each of our stories is different. It is a spectrum.

You are your child’s greatest advocate to make sure they never feel alone

For those reading this, take this poem and share it with your local communities to make sure each parent and guardian who raises a child with autism knows about their impact. I was diagnosed with autism at 4. My parents became my greatest advocates, and through years of occupational, physical, music, speech and theater therapy I’ve been able to live many of my dreams today as an adult on the spectrum who is a national speaker and author. I now have become an advocate in the hopes of helping people on the spectrum and their families.

Never forget the impact you have because even if you don’t realize it at times…

You are your child’s greatest advocate.

A version of this post originally appeared on KerryMagro.com.

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