#but I’m so glad to actually hear dialogue about this topic whether it’s in agreement or not

[philsmeatylegss]

Thank you for speaking out about this. You're right and it's important for people to talk about it openly. I work with autistic kids as well. I love doing it and usually the kids I work with are really sweet and we have a lot of fun together, but when they're having a meltdown things can get very dangerous very quickly. I had a kid threaten to throw a rock at me once. I had to take a week off of work bc I got a minor concussion after getting a plastic tub thrown at my head. That's nothing compared to what the parents have to go through sometimes. One of my clients ended up going to a behavioral health hospital bc she was so burnt out from caring for her autistic child. The sanitized version of autism that we see online is not always the reality and I'm glad someone is speaking out about it. It isn't ableist to talk about the ways that autism can be difficult for the families and caretakers of autistic kids. It's just a fact, and these people deserve just as much support and compassion as their children.

You just put what I’ve been trying to say into words that actually make sense so I thank you very much for that.

And that is exactly the point I was trying to make, I’m sure there’s many many adorable times working with autistic children. Their minds are usually so creative, unique, and endearing. But it’s also just as important to highlight the not so great parts which includes threats and violence. And know when I say this I place no blame on the autistic individual. They are suffering just as much and it’s neither persons fault. And you made a really great point about how sanitizing what autism is prevents many people to be aware of what autism truly is. And that prevents those people from being able to provide proper support to autistic individuals and their families. And you are right that all families deserve the same love and support.

I also want to add, just as someone who has been around to witness what a classroom of special needs children, specifically autistic children, is like, thank you for what you’re doing. Even if you stop doing it, thank you for putting in the time. The parents of these children very rarely get a break and it means a lot that you care for their children while they get some well deserved rest. I truly believe being a special needs teacher, especially with either young kids are post puberty teens, is one of the hardest jobs mentally. I can say for a fact that I wouldn’t be able to last a week at a profession such as yours. But I just wanted to add a thank you for giving these children a safe place to be while their parents can have some peace