Posts by Lauren Morfett
Different Doesn’t Mean Less
You see a little boy that is naughty and throwing a tantrum. I see a little boy who is trying so hard to cope with all the changes around him that it has sent him into a full-blown meltdown, something that is out of his control, and yet you are judging him and my parenting as you walk past us. You see a little boy who doesn’t listen to his mummy. I see a little boy who cannot get through the day without ear defenders because he cannot cope at…
Read MoreYour Arms Are The Safest Place I Know
It’s so loud that the pain is ringing in my ears,But I cannot tell you why I am stuck behind these tears,The light is so bright it’s overwhelming every part of me,The last time we came here they had two benches not three. The smells are different and I don’t know why,I need a minute to lie down now and look at the sky,My zipper feels funny and my socks are on wrong,I’m trying my best to remember that one Moana song. The shoes scuffing on the pavement make my…
Read MoreEveryone’s Accepting of Autism—Until They’re Not
Everyone’s accepting of autism until you see my boy on the floor, mid-meltdown, and blame my parenting. The whispers and the stares as you walked past were not unnoticed, but my child needed me more than you needed my reaction. Everyone’s accepting of autism until his stimming doesn’t quite fit in your little box and you feel like he’s too old to behave that way. Everyone’s accepting of autism until you get annoyed that we cannot attend an event because it is not suited for our special needs child. Everyone’s…
Read MoreUntil You Have: The Reality of Special Needs Parenting
Until you have sat with your child whilst they have lost all control, and all you can do is hold them through it, feeling completely useless. Until you have had to hold your child’s hands to stop them from hurting themselves, your heart breaking, wishing you could take that pain away. Until you have watched your child go from five safe foods to two and prayed every night that it doesn’t go down to zero. Until you have stayed up all night watching your child fight to be able to…
Read MoreHelicopter Parenting and Autism: Keeping My Child Safe and Happy
I’m that mum, the helicopter mum that follows my child around the park the whole time. The one you roll your eyes at when you see the worried look on my face if I lose sight of my child for a split second. Getting to the park itself took so much energy. We had to fight through his anxiety. It was such an achievement to even get him out of the car. To you and your friends, I look overprotective. You might even think at first glance that I need…
Read MoreEncouragement for Moms Facing an Autism Diagnosis
To the Mumma who has just received an autism diagnosis, I see you, I hear you, and I was you. You knew what it was long before the doctor even mentioned the words. You had noticed the signs, watched how your child met milestones and then just stopped, almost regressing overnight. You’re painfully aware of your best friend’s child who is talking in sentences while your child seems lost in his own world most of the time. “You shouldn’t compare; kids all develop in their own time” – you’ll hear…
Read MoreThrough His Eyes: The Colors and Sounds of Autism
Take my hand and follow me, Let me show you exactly what I see. The colors all around me are beautiful and white, It’s a blessing and a curse to see light this bright. The background noise that you instantly ignore Screams inside my head the second you open the door. There is no mute or volume down, It’s a never-ending fight of swim or drown. Food can be scary if it is any color but beige, It’s a sensory issue that can’t simply be fixed with age. It’s hard…
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