Fallout from the storm...........

Most of us involved in the world of Autism have at some point suffered some form of fallout with regard to our children and their special needs.  It's our coworkers, our friends, our neighbors, and unfortunately at worst, it's from our own family.  Never an easy path do we travel.  I feel the only true understanding can come from those who live it every day.  It's often a dark lonely place to be to begin with; only to be compounded when the only support system you had, just walked out the door.

Sometimes it's simple differences and disagreements.  Not everyone can understand, tolerate, or is willing to learn about the subtle nuances that make up a special needs child.  To those outsiders, it can simply be overwhelming, or it can conflict with their own set of rituals, and behavior,  that that they fail to realize they posses themselves. Profoundly ironic, but a stark truth nonetheless. 

Sometimes, the error of their ways would have the same impact, and be just as inappropriate, were it to be a neurotypical child that was involved.  Sometimes, such fallout occurs simply because there are very clear cut laws that stipulate what kind of behavior one is allowed to have around ANY child, and they fail to see the error of their ways.  And it's really rather sad when such individuals find that following the law, shouldn't interfere with the family, when they are the very one's who put you in said position because they lack control of their behavior.  

It's unfortunate when lines are drawn in the sand, and you're left standing on the other side because you're supposedly the one at fault for having a child who is special needs, and those unique needs make others uncomfortable and reasonably lead to individuals having "justifiable" behavioral responses that exceed what even said child displays in a given situation.  Even more unfortunate when said individual is family technically, but not actually part of the blood line (though blood isn't always thicker than water), and can sway so much support for their misgivings.  

It's unfortunate when family believes it was all an honest mistake (when it occurs several times), and you should simply dismiss the possibility that there could be legal ramifications, loss of your career, and most importantly, loss of your child.  That you should ignore those possibilities, and continue contact regardless of the outcome, and to not do so, makes you out to be the bad person in the situation. 

Well, sometimes, we just have to protect our children, regardless of who they are, and regardless of how that makes family feel.  Whether it is understood or agreed upon with regard to the law.  Whether they fail to even see the simple moral implication of the wrong that was committed.  Whether it destroys what once was, as during times of extreme stress, people often show their true colors.  

The storm has passed, and I'm still waiting for the dawn.