I had decided that I would not write a disturbing post so early on this year. However the news of the missing kid's search ending in tragedy was on my mind for the whole week. The more I thought about his tragic death the more I got upset. I knew that I had to write a post, but I wanted to make it useful and helpful for people who have children and especially for people who have children with some kind of special need. So I talked to different people who could share my feelings about the hardships parents have to face today when it comes to raising children, making a living and wanting to have a good time on occasions. Having knowledge can help people take steps. I did not even know until I heard on the television that most autistic children are fond of bodies of water. They are fascinated by water and are drawn towards swimming pools and lakes etc. I also learned that community homes that house autistic children have staff that is very well trained and dedicated and stay awake all night to make sure that a child does not get up and walk out. A friend of mine who is a supervisor for CNAs and PCAs told me that their patients are very young but are very comfortable with the staff because they are there all the time. Most children are shy of strangers and autistic children are more shy and aloof. So even if parents want to keep their children at home and not want to keep them in a community home what they can do is get their children acquainted with well trained staff by bringing them to the centers one or two days a week. This way if they are planning on having a party or are busy some other way, they can call the staff the child is familiar with. Having the peace of mind because your child is supervised is so much better than keeping him entertained with a laptop or a tablet to play with.
Most of us have used television cartoons on Saturday mornings and during gatherings to keep our children entertained. I would say that we were fortunate that our children did not walk out of our home. A loved one who is a pediatrician says that any kid can walk out of a home if not supervised, not just an autistic child.
