Why Can't We Face the Truth? Autism Reality from the UK

I phoned with New Year good wishes. Helen answered, in tears. Her head hurt, she said; Tom had ripped out a handful of her hair by the roots. Bit her, too. But I couldn't hear what she was saying for the insistent shrieking in the background.

Carole Sawler, describing a phone call to a mother of an autistic child

In Why can't we face the truth? Having an autistic child wrecks your life ... on Mailonline, Carole Sawler provides some reality about autism disorders. Not the fluffy, head in the sand, Joy of Autism stuff that celebrates autistic disorders and would have you believe that it is a good thing that your child is autistic, but the gritty, harsh realities captured in the above quote and some others too like the impacts on parents careers, travel plans ... or just the ability to relax.

I read this article after a rough night with Conor. I love Conor deeply. He is my buddy, forever. But last night was not one filled with sleep and a long day lies ahead. I refuse to pretend, as the Joy of Autism crowd would have it, that all is sweetness and light with autism disorders. At least not for all autistic persons, particularly the more severely affected, those whom the Neurodiversity movement pretends do not exist. And not for all families with autistic members.

Carole Sawler asks "Why can't we face the truth?". A very good question.

autism