Autism Answer: Listen to them, then be you! You are your Expert!

"Any man who reads too much and uses his own brain too little falls into lazy habits of thinking." ~Albert Einstein

For anyone asked to suddenly understand something completely foreign to them, such as autism often is for parents, this is an important and brilliant quote to remember!! 

It would be foolish not to take advantage others who have information and are willing to share. Definitely read some articles, books and blogs. Certainly ask questions from parents, professionals and autistics. But remember not to fall into the trap of allowing them to become the expert in your home. YOU are your own expert, always!! 

Find your most comfortable way of listening to ideas and discoveries, digesting them for yourself and then looking around your world with the new information--but using your own eyes and beliefs. 

This balanced way of being will help you accept and love the autism in your world, while helping you find ways to encourage growth, skill acquisition and comfortable change!

One wonderful way to discover your own answers is to share them with others. Often it's in the telling we truly hear ourselves!! There are not a lot of inherently right or wrong answers, but it's delightful to discover your own right and wrong answers! And we never know what seed we might plant in the minds of others when we spread a little awareness and fertilize it with honest story telling!

Hugs, smiles and love!!