About a Boy – Part 2

(To read Part 1, go here).

This story about a boy is not just any boy. He is our boy. Our sweet oldest child whose charm is often more apparent than his challenges. I haven’t written much about his struggles here before for many reasons. In reality, people who don’t know him well often don’t notice any issues. In our home, we try to focus on his successes, but his challenges are personal and painful and affect every area of our lives. Parenting styles and choices are controversial as evidenced by the amount of advice we’ve received on what we should be doing differently. Other people often do not understand this boy, and I understand that because we often don’t understand this boy. Understand?

We have felt alone and discouraged in this journey at times. We have cried and prayed our hearts out for this child. We feel like we have tried everything and nothing really works when it comes to training and discipline. We have felt like total failures as parents. I’m not here to be Debbie Downer. I am here to offer hope. There are resources available. There are people who work with children who have behavioral challenges. There are people who understand. Most of all, there is a God who understands. He cares for us and helps us. He gives comfort and joy, hope and peace. We are not alone!

…do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:4-7

As we seek help for our child, we continue to come across many resources that suggest a gluten-free (GF), casein-free (CF) diet for children on the autism spectrum. With much research, a little fear, some sadness, and a whole lot of let’s go for it, we have decided to transform our diet to GFCF. While we don’t have an official diagnosis yet, we know our child best and will do whatever it takes to help him reach his full potential. Here’s praying that our new menu will help.

We discussed this new meal-plan around the supper table the other night. While I was contemplating how overwhelming this task would be for me, our compassionate boy said, “Mom, if it’s hard, I will help you.” And THAT is the sweet boy we get to see underneath it all.

-to be continued…