AUTISM AWARE: Autism is Hard Work

While a lot of kids on the spectrum have a ‘harder ride’ (lots of extra challenges in daily life, frustration with not being able to communicate, extra medical demands, etc, etc) that doesn’t mean they have less demands than other kids.

In fact, it’s the opposite.

Since Luke turned 3 he’s been in school. Most of that time it’s been all day school.

Since he was 3, he’s been in summer school.

All of his schooling is one-on-one, so the teachers use every second of it as a teaching moment. Even during play and free-time he has demands on him to communicate in order to continue the fun.

Luke currently gets about 6 hours a week of additional therapy at home(Applied Behavior Analysis or ABA).

Many ASD kids get much more than that(it can be expensive), even as much as -5–7 days a week ABA, plus at home speech and Occupational therapy and even music therapy and other programs.

With patience, demands, and even interests being difficult to overcome roadblocks, it makes all these hours of work more taxing and tiring.

Luke and his friends work very very hard every day. Most logging well over 40 hours a week. Probably harder than I had to work in college! Definitely harder than I have to work now.