People don't realize how hard it is to be a parent of special needs children unless they themselves have special needs kids.
From the moment that you realize your kids have special needs, there are these mixed feelings and reactions. There's anger, questioning God "Why you"; there's the denial when you try your best to believe there's nothing wrong with the child; there's the day-to-day frustrations because your child, no matter how much help you give him, still presents with problems; there's jealousy towards other families especially those with high-achieving kids; there's the guilt, that maybe you caused it, or maybe you haven't done enough, and for mothers especially, the guilt of working outside the home instead of making your child's life your life 24/7; there's the financial woes to cover expensive treatment and various therapies; there's the strain in your marriage, and the resentment the siblings feel towards the special child for the special treatment he gets; there's the many criticisms from friends and family about how you do your job as a parent; and yet when the need arises, none of them are willing to watch your kids even for just an hour.
It's hard enough to get babysitters for regular children, imagine getting babysitters willing to watch your special child - a child they don't understand, a child who throws tantrums, cries a lot, who spits at everything, punches himself, bangs his head on the wall, bounces off the wall, fidgets and never listens, constantly twirls around and never settles down, trapped in his own world of trains and dinosaurs, constantly asks you the same questions over and over, who couldn't talk or wouldn't shut up, or has grown up to be a big teen and deemed dangerous to others.
But everyday, we have parents and grandparents and other care-givers who bravely take on this task. It takes a lot of patience, perseverance, and just purest of all pure love for the special need children. They make sacrifices everyday. Here's a plea to be accepting of all individuals and to lend a hand to our special families.
If you're a parent to a special needs child, give yourself a pat on the back. Still asking "why you?". How about "why not you?" It takes a special person to care for a special needs child. You're special, too!
