Of course it is! How could you even doubt it? The whole world knows that everything that’s happening in your child’s life is your entire fault and your entire fault alone. So….. fix it.
 
That statement would have to be one of the world’s biggest and best lies ever told!

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It simply isn’t true.... however; we all know how it feels to hear it. Those are the feelings that you have when someone else ‘blames’ you and your partner for being bad parents. The feelings that occur when you wonder if it was something you did while you were pregnant even though you were as brilliant as you could be trying to make sure you had a healthy baby. You wonder if there may be something in the combination of the genetics that made your beautiful child. You wonder if maybe there really is something in the whole campaign that blames vaccinations. You wonder if it may be the way you live, or the foods your family eat. You wonder if maybe, just maybe, you might be being punished for something that you don’t remember doing. You wonder if maybe people are right that you’re reading way too much into the way your child behaves. These feelings and many more are very very much....ALL NORMAL.
 
Firstly you should know; there is no scientifically proven cause of Autism. Many studies have been done around the world where possible contributors are suggested and where some say that yes that’s the cause there are then others that say it isn’t. It’s very confusing! Vaccines are very much ‘in the news’ when it comes to Autism but as mentioned, some say yes, some say no. Some parents are absolutely sure that they’re the cause while others noticed problems before the vaccinations. Some blame genetics because great aunt Gertrude was a little loopy or because someone in the family shows similar traits. Again, nothing is proven.
 
What ever the reasons behind your child being on the spectrum, you need to know this; nothing that you did or didn’t do caused your babe to become autistic. What you’re going through right now is the same as every other parent who, in their own journeys, are trying to understand more about their child just like you are. There will come a point though when you will realise that it isn’t as important to you to know this answer as much as it is to do the things you need to give your child the best start to life. It’s OK for you to cry, scream, jump up and down, yell and ask why why why??!?! It’s normal!! Every parent goes through a mourning period when their child is diagnosed. It’s normal to want the best for your child and your own ideas and dreams of what you wanted are no longer there. It takes time to say goodbye to those dreams but you know what? They’re replaced by others. Whether a child has autism (or other special needs), or whether they’re neurotypical (aka normal) there would be very very few parents in this world that can say that their child has fulfilled everything their parents dreamed up for them. A child is who they are and not who we want them to be. We, as responsible parents, have the right to guide them to fulfilling their full potential but we do not have the right to tell them who they are regardless of what ever “label” society puts on them.
 
You know that you will do everything you can for your child. You know that no matter what anyone says that you will love your child. You know that you will wipe away tears, put bandaids on ‘hurts’ and you will even get angry when your walls get painted… again. Just what isn’t normal about that?
 
There will always be parts of society that will look down on your child. Unfortunately we can’t change that overnight, but there are many who are determined to create awareness  as to the beauty of our children and the good they have to offer our world.
 
Just remember that you aren’t alone in your journey. There are many many groups and organisations that are only too happy to open their doors to you. You are your child’s voice just as much as your child is your heart.