LOVE & AUTISM

Sooooo ok! If you think your marriage is hard it is nothing compared to being married and raising a child with Autism. Of course everyone these days seems to get divorced but the divorce rate is way higher if you have a child with any type of disability. The divorce rate is at 80%. You are probably wondering why this is, if you are a married parent with an autistic child you certainly know why:

1. Financially it costs  thousands more to raise a child with Autism so that they will meet their full potential
2. Parenting styles are usually different and can be very difficult because of the behaviors of your child
3. There is no work life balance and sometimes one parent has to stay home to take proper care of the child
4. There is no alone time because of the degree of attention your child must have

When our child was first diagnosed with Autism everyone told me NO, nothing is wrong, he is just a kid...the doctors don't know what they are talking about. I was alone, by myself taking my child back and forth to various doctor's appointments and even having to drive hours to go to specialists. I wasn't sad about any of this because I was gonna do whatever it took to make sure his diagnosis was correct and that he had the best care. I researched and advocated for my child. 

I still can't say everyone has accepted the fact that my child has autism but they have come to terms with the fact that there is special care and a high level of attention needed. I am blessed to have a wonderful group of teachers that have worked with our child for two years and because of it our child is very high functioning and SUPER SMART, which most Autistic kids are. 

My husband and I have are ups and downs but we are far from divorce. Having a child with a disability should bring you closer. You should learn how to work together to nurture and care for your child.  You really have to support each other and gain respect for each of your opinions. It's not going to be easy but, make sure you have lots of family involved and have strong spirituality because your marriage can still succeed. MINE HAS!