A few posts back I was discussing the differences between Aspergers and Autism. I was sharing how profoundly different it it to raise a child with Autism as apposed to Aspergers. My experience today is a PERFECT example of what I mean. Emmett has been running a fever the past few days. Since yesterday, he has been acting like he's in pain. The problem is that he can't tell us if he is. Lizze and I thought maybe he had a toothache or maybe his throat hurt but we weren't sure. When your child can't communicate it's a truly helpless feeling. When you think your child is in pain but they just can't tell you, it's heartbreaking. In Emmett's case, it turned out to be a sore throat.
One of the major challenges we face with Emmett is his inability to communicate. He literally can't tell us what he's going through, as currently, he lacks the speech and language skills to do so. This has been and will continue to be something I struggle with because I want so desperately to be able to communicate with my son.. Sure, we have made progress but on days like today, when he's in pain but can't tell us, I realize just how far we still have to go. I tried ALL day to figure out what was wrong but my efforts were in vain. It's such a helpless feeling to know your child is in pain but can't tell you where. One of the things I hate most about Autism is the silence. That silence is deafening. I really wish there was a way to convey this to those that aren't facing the same struggles.
