When our three-year-old daughter Susie* was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder our whole world came crashing down. We didn’t want anyone to know that she was not ‘normal’. It took a couple of months for us to realise that she was normal, just different.
Armed with this realisation, we shared the diagnosis with Susie. We started off slow, talking about autism more openly, at the dining table rather than behind closed doors. She finished speech therapy and began asking “What” and “Why” questions, but she didn’t question me. When she did something commendable like fix a puzzle piece into a 1000-piece puzzle her grandmom was working on by barely looking at it, or her early reading, we praised her and told her that she was a visual learner and it’s a strength that can be attributed to her brilliant autistic mind. When she had difficulties with challenging behaviours, waiting, I remind her that it’s part of the different mind. I usually remind her that everyone is different and you have so much to be grateful for. It’s not been easy but sharing the diagnosis is the best thing I could have done for her. She knows her strengths and her weaknesses and it’s a powerful tool. She’s so young but I can see that she’s more confident. She’s no longer confused. Perfection is overrated. My daughter is imperfect, and she’s awesome.
This blog was written by a Sethu mum. Identity protected upon request. The image with this blog is from a statement Susie wrote about herself.
*Name changed