I’m Scared

Courtesy of Family First---Letters To The Editor

I’ve really been enjoying Tzippi Leibenson’s account of raising a child with ASD.

I have a four-year-old son with ASD, and I’d love to talk to another mother with experience. Honestly, reading her story scares me, knowing that it’s going to get harder and harder to deal with my on.

---A scared Mom

Tzippy Leibenson responds:

Thank you so much for reaching out with your thoughts about raising as ASD son. It’s important to keep in mind that his diagnosis is, by definition, a spectrum, with a wide range of symptoms and difficulties. Therefore, what I experienced with my own may have no connection to yours. With proper intervention, your son b’ezras Hashem can grow into a fully functioning adult, while another child may never be able to manage on his own; but again, his issues would have no bearing on yours.

That said, why did I want to write this diary? Surely not to scare you or anyone else. Quite the opposite, I wanted to give chizuk to all mothers, those with ASD children or those dealing with very different challenges. Because everyone has challenges. And what mine taught me was the message of: You can do this! You can rise to the occasion and find within yourself strengths you never knew you had. And you can succeed in triumphing above these difficulties by becoming a better person, mother, and a source of pride to yourself.

I wish I could meet you in person so you can see that I’m an upbeat, happy personality and that my house if a normal, fun, happening place to be. My kids are all very close to each other and to Chezky as well. Now that I have marrieds (and yes, people wanted to marry into our family), the in-laws and their families are also part and parcel of our family, with our good times and bad.

ASD is a challenge, no question. But so are many issues in life. And when you try to get through them and put in your all, you’re left with the feeling that, no, I wouldn’t have chosen this, but I was chosen, and I’m both humbled and honored that I can care for his neshama this way