Touch

I am frustrated. I just watched the commercial for the show Touch. I obviously have not watched it but from the previews it looks to be about a child with autism. Do they come out and say it, I don't know. You know what I don't care either.

The world of autism needs more understanding, more awareness, more visibility. We need more houses lit up blue. We need the White House to light it up blue. We need to get to a place where people don't say stupid things to moms like us.

What we don't need is one more stereotype out there. We don't need one more show where the kid reads minds, figures out the meaning of life, or makes the world turn  the opposite direction on it's axis. Why aren't our kids good enough just the way they are?

My son struggles with math, and reading, and just about every other damn thing he encounters. I know there are some people out there who can do amazing things, but they are few and far between.
Why do we need to perpetuate the idea that all of our kids must be like Rain Man. What is it about society that thinks a kid like Sammy can't be awesome just because he is Sammy? He is awesome. He is wonderfully and fearfully made. It is everything about it. Autism is only part of who he is.

He is a 7 year old boy, who loves bagels. He hates double digit math and spelling. He loves Star Wars. He doesn't like to go to bed or get wet. He loves video games and his dog. He loves his sister and his brothers. He gives his mom butterfly kisses and he believes in God.

He doesn't count cards. He doesn't know every digit of Pi. He doesn't add numbers in the blink of an eye. He doesn't memorize birthdays,weather patterns, or locations on a map. He doesn't even know what latitude and longitude are. He cannot build boats with his eyes closed or speak Latin...

He is however an awesome kid and the last thing the Autism world needs is another Stereotype. Why can't we simply celebrate who are children are? Both our children with autism and without...deserve that much...don't they?