That was a lovely outcome, and etc. I will say I have worked with some some kiddos with incredible challenges. This is actually one of my favorite books on the topic,, and it is pretty profound.
https://www.amazon.com/Expecting-Adam-Story-Rebirth-Everyday/dp/0307719642
I will say, there are TWO types of parents I go out of my way to complement in the world, and it is a) parents who are calmly going about their shopping COMPLETELY ignoring their kid's tantrum about the coco puffs and b) Autistic parents whose kiddos are making weird noises and growling or whatever and the parents get dirty looks.
I believe perhaps one of the most valiant parents I ever met was in an Urgent Care. Her kid was having a meltdown and the mom was getting dirty looks and saying every now and then, "He can't help it, sorry he has autism." So I happened to have a couple Tibetan disk bells in my purse and I planted my .... right down next to her and handed them to him, and they settled him right down. She was a nurse, had 3 other kids and described the birth of this kiddo as "really restful it was like one of the only times in the past few years where like, we were alone together me and my husband."
There is TOUGH and then there is THAT. She also said as many autistic parents do, "I just wish I could understand him better. Like, what he is thinking." I showed up after her and I got called first I just kind of marched her up to the nurse and said, "It's this family's turn" and she just melted, especially when she tried to return the discs and I was like, "Uh, hell no you are about to enter the doctor's lair, keep them."
I think it was like the only time I voluntarily gave up a place in line, EVER in an urgent care. I'm not going to say raising my kid was cake, but profound developmental delay is a really tough one.
I thought the video was lovely. I will note, plenty of non religious parents choose to keep their kiddos and it doesn't always end up quite like THAT, but it does end up really something in ways a lot of folks don't quite understand.
I don't think I could raise a developmentally delayed kiddo. It was pretty hard but not as hard as THIS:
https://www.amazon.com/Boy-Who-Loved-Windows-Threatened/dp/073820966X
Anna
Yup. Not for the faint of heart. I actually worry a lot more about kids conditioned into conduct disorder but those are the kids I can connect with in a meaningful way. Autism is crazy hard.