Autism Parenting: Replacing Self-Pity with Joy

Parenting special needs children is difficult, but it need not be a lifelong pity party over a burdensome road we must travel.

If you are a special needs parent reading this post, what were you looking for?

What is it you seek when you read the stories of how other special needs parents coped with their circumstances?

Sadly, I find that many parents look for confirmation that their life sucks, they are deeply put upon, and nobody understands their problems. We all have bad days when we feel overwhelmed, but it isn’t helpful to lapse into a malaise or wallow in self-pity.

I know because I indulged in my share of self-pity, and it only made my life worse.

See: Mistakes I Made Raising My Autistic Son

Each parent has a unique experience when they realize their child is different. For most people, it isn’t a time of rejoicing. We didn’t know it at the time, but in that moment of acceptance of his condition, we made a huge mistake that took us about 15 years to…