Do you ever think about the future? I mean everyone does, don’t they? Some of us think about tomorrow, what we need to do or next week or even a few months down the line, especially if we have something that we are really looking forward to.
I think I probably speak for most parents with children on the spectrum when I ask, Do you ever worry about the future? As many people get older they think and plan as best they can for things to come and they may even make funeral plans or financial plans. That’s probably pretty normal for the average person to do.
When you have a child on the spectrum, I think you worry about a future that does not include you. You may worry about who will look after your child when you are no longer here. You may get upset about this, grieve this or even wonder if your child will be okay and what their life may look like when you are no longer around. These thoughts can be all-consuming and even destructive, if we let them.
We have done some planning as a family. We have a will in place and many of the financial aspects. We have guardians who will take over our affairs and look after our children if we are no longer here. But where does the worrying stop? What if something happens to these people? What if my child ends up in a place where they are not treated well?
Another set of questions may be, will my child be able to live on their own and hold down a job? Will anyone care? My child doesn’t understand money, who will help them?
Will my child be happy?
Believe me I have pondered these and many, many more questions over the years. This is a tough one and I think that it looks so different for everyone. We all come from different sizes of families. We all have people we are close to. Our children all have unique, individual needs. I read comments in autism groups on Facebook all the time where people are stating how much they worry about their child’s future.
For me, we tried to plan the best we possibly could. We have a will, we have family members who are willing to step in and take over and we have close friends as well as our church family. We just have to do our absolute best to have the things that are important in place. That’s all any of us can do especially since we can’t predict the future.
My husband and I try our best to promote independence in both of our children and we keep preparing them the best we can every day.
Isn’t that all any of us can really do?
I would love to hear your thoughts on this subject………
Until next time……… take care!
Shelly Wedge 