Before I became a dad, I admit that one of my greatest fears was to have a child with special needs, be it a physical or mental disability. It didn’t help that our society, the mass media, and even the entertainment industry oftentimes only highlighted the challenges of special needs parenting – the physical and financial demands that come with it as well as the pressure to fit in.
What I Fear Most For My Son
Well, the fear became very much real when we received the diagnosis that our son Miguel had Global Developmental Delay (GDD). He has not been given an autism diagnosis yet but we’re bracing ourselves for that when we come back to the developmental pediatrician for his succeeding assessments.
We’ve learned to cope and adjust over the last two years. We’re also thankful that Miguel is not a hyperactive child. He loves playing and is usually just contented with his toys, running in the yard, and picking ordinary objects that catch his fancy.
Miguel has had very few meltdowns, we’ve learned to adapt to his food preferences, and he seemed to have gotten over his odd sleeping habits. Therapy is definitely helping him, even if we were on and off the face-to-face sessions because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Just the same, I couldn’t help but overthink and worry a lot at times. Let’s admit it, society can be unkind to people with special needs. I mean, even “normal” people experience hostility every day, in the office, in public places, and even at home.
Here are some of the things that bother me a lot:
- My son being treated unfairly. I hope he gets equal opportunities when he grows up. I just wish that he could be whatever he wants to be and not be hindered by his condition.
- Being called names. We’ve all been there at some point – the bully who spares no one, the insensitive adult in the street, or just a person who doesn’t understand. Words hurt and stay with us long.
- Other people psychically targeting my son because of his condition.
- Not being able to express himself well when he feels physical pain.
I know that the world is far from being perfect but I still wish that my son would not experience unkindness from the people around him.
I hope people will be more understanding and less judgmental. I wish they’d be more patient in seeing that my son is trying his best to fit in. We are doing our very best.
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