Beyond Ordinary: What has autism done for us?

The phrase "beyond ordinary" is a good description of our life as parents from the beginning of our journey. Our twins were born 6 1/2 weeks early and were diagnosed at delivery with Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome (TTTS). They had medical issues in the beginning as a result of both TTTS and prematurity, so they spent their first 22 days in the NICU.

The first year was a blur of sleep deprivation, double feedings, double diapers and double cuddles, but as first time parents, we didn't know any different! At age 3, BH and CB were diagnosed with autism and sensory integration disorder. At that point, I was pregnant with Little Bitty. He was diagnosed with autism & sensory issues at age 2.

The world of autism is all we know, or as someone else at 5MFSN recently put it, this is our normal. So for today I want to revisit the question, "What has autism done for you?" I posted about this a while back, but I'd like to share my thoughts again here.

- Autism has taught me that things aren't always what they seem, appearances can be deceiving
- It has taught me to look for the best in people
- It has taught me to appreciate every accomplishment, no matter how "small"
- It has helped me understand what is truly important in life
- It has taught me patience beyond what I thought I'd be capable of
- It has taught me to laugh, to find the humor in things because it helps me hang on to a shred of sanity when I've about lost it(ok, I'll admit it's debatable whether I even have a shred of sanity left anymore, lol)
- It has taught me how to be strong and advocate for my children
- It has helped me stay in shape (must be able to chase a running child at any moment, carry a kicking / screaming child from store to car without breaking my back, wrestle an uncooperative child into his carseat, you get the idea)
- It has taught me how to survive on very little sleep
- It has brought some amazing people into my life that I wouldn't have known otherwise

My boys have taught me:
- how to be more observant and to notice the beauty all around us in the world
- flapping and bouncing are actually great stress-relievers :) (go ahead, try it!)
- new ways to communicate
- if something doesn't work the first time, "try it again!" with a positive attitude (they never give up!)
- how to be yourself without caring what others think
- kindness doesn't necessarily require great social skills
- there's more than one way to say "I love you" and it doesn't always require words

My sons see the wonder all around us in the simplest of things, and they notice all the little details that most of us overlook. They see people for who they are inside and place no importance on the superficial things that so many people get caught up with. They truly see the world, and everyone in it, through God's eyes. They are extraordinary, and who would want to change that?

Read more Beyond Ordinary experiences at 5 Minutes for Special Needs.