One of my favorite writers and autism moms, Carrie Carriello, wrote today about why she shares so much about her son Jack, and it got me thinking. 

I have had many people ask me why I share so much about Sawyer and our life. Most people have been interested to read our blog, and very supportive, but I have had a few who rose concerns about Sawyer’s and our family’s safety, and say that it’s oversharing and an invasion of his privacy.

Well, this blog started because Sawyer, himself, asked me to create it. It was an idea I had bounced around for a little while, but I was on the fence for the very reasons mentioned above (as well as a couple of others). I didn’t want to expose information that could put any of my children in danger, and I didn’t want it to seem like I love one child more than the others because that is definitely not the case. Ultimately, I decided to do it because the world needs more autism awareness and education. 

I write about Sawyer because he wants people to understand him and accept him for who he is. Just recently, he told me that he gets sad when people don’t understand him and give him weird looks or make fun of him because they don’t understand why he is the way he is. He wants people to understand sensory overload and why he stims, and why he has trouble calming down when he is upset. 

He wants people to understand that just because he’s quiet doesn’t mean he doesn’t hear what’s being said or what’s happening around him. When you make a comment about him being weird or “stupid” for liking certain things, he hears that stuff- and it makes him really sad and upset. 

He wants people to understand that when he freaks out when a dog comes near him, it’s embarrassing to him because he doesn’t want to be afraid, but he can’t help it- just like some people are terrified of snakes or spiders, he is terrified of dogs (which I’ve written about here), which is a common fear in people with autism. Sawyer wants people to understand that he is trying to overcome his fear but so far he’s still very scared, and laughing at him or getting exasperated doesn’t help the situation. 

I write because I want to help my son to be understood and fit in better with his peers and the world around him. My hope is that parents will read this blog and maybe use it to talk to their kids about accepting others with differences. I hope that this blog will help people to understand the “why” behind autism, and why people with autism do some of the things they do, such as humming to themselves, walking or pacing a lot, or having meltdowns. 

I write because I pray every day that people will read my words and develop a deeper sense of empathy and acceptance for those who are different. I was an ignorant kid, and I made fun of what I didn’t understand, so I fully believe that God sent me a special needs child to help teach me understanding, acceptance, patience, and empathy. I have also learned how to love my children on a deeper level than I ever knew was possible. 

God has used Sawyer to help me be a better mother and person, and I believe it’s part of my life’s purpose to help educate others and advocate for him and others like him. And that’s why I write this blog.