Parenting a child with special needs is making plans and being pleasantly surprised if they actually work out. But still being disappointed when they don’t.
It’s going to the party but never getting out of the car.
It’s taking turns with your partner to navigate a meltdown.
It’s unexpected tantrums. Defiance. Triggers. Depression. Anxiety. Sensory overwhelm.
It’s glares or judgment from people around you.
It’s calling your mom to cry over a day that went to hell. Or wondering how this is all going to all play out.
It’s warnings from acquaintances that it will probably get worse. Or a story about a cousin’s cousin who markedly improved over time.
But also?
It is playing Bey Blades for an hour when you hear your child softly say “I feel better.”
It’s feeling listless on the couch when your child unexpectedly sits down on your lap and melts into you.
It’s an impromptu laugh that makes your heart explode. Or watching them pet and nuzzle your dog. Or glimpses of them doing a little dance move to music only they can hear.
It’s all of it. It’s left and right. Up and down. In and out. I guess that’s why they call it a spectrum.
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