I was having lunch with my good friend N today and we were having a discussion on the episode of a TV show called 'Parenthood'. This episode had a character, a boy with Asperger's Syndrome, overhear a conversation he obviously wasn't meant to hear... the conversation was about his Asperger's, the problem being he didn't know he had it. So it was a shocking reveal to him. Our discussion turned toward our own children and would we not tell them/hide it from them, or for them to know. I am of the opinion (doesn't mean it's the right one ) that it should be common knowledge in my household. I don't feel comfortable not letting my children know. I mean, of course Liam's Cerebral Palsy is obvious, but I also discuss it openly anyway. There is nothing to hide and there is definately nothing to be ashamed of. I feel the same way about Jack. I think we will just talk about Autism openly also, as it is a way of life, it's not a dirty word and it's definately nothing to be ashamed of. I likened it to decades ago when people could withold the information of adoption. There were teenagers and adults having the shock discovery that the people they thought were their biological parents were in fact not. I remember as a child in the 80's we all wondered if we were adopted or we would tease eachother by saying someone was adopted and they didn't know. Nowadays that doesn't happen. Children have to know they are adopted from the get-go and thus there are no surprises, it's just a fact of life and all they have known. I feel the same way about any diagnoses, the person has the right to know. But that's just my thoughts and I'm not saying if you don't agree you are wrong. We all view these things differently and that's ok.
Although having said all that.. It doesn't need to be THE topic of conversation everyday. I just want to make that clear. But when it's needed and it's appropriate I don't see why it can't be talked about openly.
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