Today’s listener question is a tough one, and it was pulled from my support forum, here.
A mom sent this in and I really felt this and wanted to address it directly. I hope this helps.
QUestion/Statement
My son was diagnosed about 5 years ago with autism, severe ADHD and language delay. He’s come a long way but still struggles with most aspects of social interaction, especially with kids his own age. During COVID we started homeschooling and he likes it so much better than going to school. In public school he had so much anxiety and really just had a horrible experience in general. Since homeschooling I’ve gotten in this bad habit of telling people he has ADHD. I do it so the other parents are hopefully more understanding if he has a meltdown or is a little bit rude etc. But today my son said he wants it to be a secret. Now I feel horrible. I had the best of intentions but now I feel like I sold out my son to make things easier for myself. (So I don’t look like a bad parent if other people see my son having a meltdown or being rude etc.) I also feel like maybe he is feeling the stigma and shame that comes along with being nuerodivergent in our society, which is what I wanted to prevent. I want him to be happy with who he is and how he works and I feel like I’ve gone about this all the wrong way. I don’t want him to be treated differently but he does have different needs. I don’t know where to go from here and I feel like a horrible Mom.
Host Bio:
Rob Gorski is a single Dad to three amazing autistic boys as well as Found and CEO of The Autism Dad, LLC. Multiple award-winning blogger, podcaster, content creator, digital marketer, social media influencer, and respected public figure for well over a decade.
Connect with Rob Gorski: https://listen.theautismdad.com
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