Give Back to the Community
Being a parent of a child with autism is scary, difficult, stressful, happy, makes your cheeks hurt because you smile so much, makes you cry, causes nightmares, teaches you, builds you up, pushes you down, has successes, and failures....
We will wonder everyday what our children's' future will look like, will we retire with them by our side, or will they go on to become the next "Good Doctor" or solve the world's problems with a "Touch".
We struggle everyday for services our children deserve; entering the world of services with little or no experience. We complain about bad services. We celebrate, with praise and recognition, the good people of the world who dedicate their lives to making better lives for our children. But what do we do? Continue on just trying to make it through each day?
We don't have to complain about bad services and lack of community, when we can be the answer we are looking for. Take a look at the big picture. There is a problem for us and a parallel problem for the community.
Take a look:
1. Problem for parents of children with autism and children with disabilities: events that are autism-friendly and disability friendly
1. Problem for the community: How do you accommodate all and create events? Communities, in which people without children with special needs, don't have the first-hand experience.
2. Problem for parents of children with autism and children with disabilities: Where can we go in the community that is safe and fun for our children?
2. Problem for the community: Local businesses may lack funding and knowledge to hold such events.
3. Problem for parents of children with autism and children with disabilities: If we break the routine and go out of the house it can be chaos or success and we can't be sure on any given day.
3. Problem for the community: The community doesn't see children with disabilities and children with autism to gain access of knowledge of what is needed.
The possibilities of answers:
1. Create Events and bring the community education. Let parents and children be the teachers.
2. Raise Funds through community events to create more events, and create accommodations for existing community events.
3. If children with disabilities and children with autism never leave the house, they will never establish routines in other environments. If the community isn't able to accommodate our children, we have to show them how. We have to create new routines, get over our fears, and try to be the change we want to see in our community. In order for a community to PROVIDE WHAT IS NEEDED, there has to be a NEED TO PROVIDE.
We as parents are the answer to what it is that we need for our family.
Umbrella FCST started a platform of Give Back to the Community to ask families to volunteer to bring the answers to the community. The problems tend to grow deep roots all the way to Congress when we do nothing. We lose funding for needed supports, and there aren't enough voices. Be the voice, create more voices, create knowledge, get over fears, make strides everyday.
Be the Change you want to see in the world (Joseph Ranseth quote).
It starts with you.
It starts with me.
It starts with the community WE create.