When I was about 4 or 5, I had the story of Alice In Wonderland on a tape cassette (remember those?) and I’d listen to it almost every night before I went to bed…
I’d ask to play it in the car during long journeys…
In my walkman when my dad got sick of hearing it through the car speakers… Literally anywhere I could… I played it so much, I could pretty much recite the whole story word for word… My dad could too!
I’ve forgotten most of it now though… There’s probably some scenes floating around somewhere in my subconscious, but that’s about it..
But a while back, whilst giving feedback to a parent after a 1:1 therapy session with her son, one particular scene with Alice and the Cheshire cat just popped into my mind …
It went like this…
Alice – “Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?”
The Cheshire Cat – “That depends a good deal on where you want to get to.”
Alice – “I don’t much care where -”
The Cheshire Cat – “Then it doesn’t matter which way you go.”
So why did it pop into my head?..
Well we were talking about her son’s needs and his future…
She told me she didn’t care how long it took she just wanted to be able to have a conversation one day with her son.
When I asked her what she considered as “a conversation” she wasn’t really sure of what she was expecting of her son…
“Well I guess just to reply to me when I ask him something, maybe tell me about his day at school or tell me how he’s feeling.” She replied.
But all of these expectations are so different.
It might surprise you to know that most of the parents I speak to haven’t really got a clear image of what it’s going to look like when their child has achieved their main goal…But it’s so important to know these things…
Otherwise, you know what they say? …”How will you know when you get there?”
Plus if you never recognise that your child has achieved a goal, you’ll just move onto a new one, expecting more from them and you’ll never take the time to celebrate their huge achievements.
While you’re here…
I want to tell you about ‘The Unlimited Autism Success Inner Circle’ … I’ve created this area for like-minded parents and carers who are passionate about helping their autistic children progress further and live happier lives.
When you join, you’ll get heaps of tips and advice on behaviour, communication, sensory needs, family life and school just to name a few!
You’ll have access for hours of video training to help you overcome tough challenges you may be facing, and I’ll guide you through how to use new strategies.
You’ll even get downloadable resources to help you and your child on your journey.
Click here for more information and to join
Speak with you soon until then,
Live every moment, Love beyond words and make a difference today
Emma Ottaway
The Ambitious Autism Ambassador
