Parents of children with autism don’t receive anywhere near the amount of credit they deserve.
Raising an autistic child is incredibly rewarding, but it’s not without its challenges. Dealing with your child’s behavioral differences is one thing – but having to put up with the judgment from moms who think you’re a “bad parent” or “can’t control your child” is a whole other challenge in itself.
It takes a kind, compassionate person to understand the struggles of a parent with an autistic child – and an even kinder person to offer to help in a demanding situation.
Laurie Gabriel is the mom of 4-year-old Brayson, who has autism.
Brayson has come a long way, with the help of therapy, from the little boy he used to be. He used to be totally anti-social, but is now confident enough to travel with his mom.
A couple of years ago, pre-Covid, Laurie decided it was time for a big milestone – to take Brayson on his very first plane journey.
The family visited San Diego, where they played on the beach and rode rollercoasters in Legoland.
So far, so good – but on the flight home, things took a turn for the worst.
Describing Brayson’s meltdown, mom Laurie recalled to KHOU 11:
“He is screaming, he’s hitting, he’s kicking, pulling hair.”
It’s every parents’ worst nightmare: your child having a tantrum in a confined public space. But in Brayson’s case, it was more than just a tantrum. It was an autistic meltdown that was beyond anyone’s control.
Laurie was unable to keep Brayson in his seat, and he even kicked another passenger.
In situations like this, as a parent, you can only despair at the thought of what all the passengers must be thinking.
But Laurie struck lucky – she landed herself with a good bunch of people who empathized with her, even though many didn’t understand how it felt to be a mom of a child with autism.
It was the flight attendants who made the biggest difference to Laurie’s journey.
Instead of turning up their noses and telling her to discipline her child, they repeatedly asked Laurie how they could help her.
At one point, Brayson was allowed to lie in the middle aisle of the plane, before moving to sit in the front of the plane with a flight attendant and a kindly man who attempted to befriend the little boy.
Laurie recalled:
“He goes, ‘He can scream and kick my chair this whole flight. I don’t care.’ So then he asked his name, and he was hi-fiving Brayson, and talking to him while Brayson’s laying by him.”
The biggest surprise came when Laurie was exiting the plane.
One of the flight attendants handed her a note that said, “God bless your patience, your love, your support and your strength.”
It went on to compliment Laurie on her parenting and tell her to “continue to be Superwoman”.
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is incredibly common affecting approximately every 1 in 67 children.
So it’s about time we all followed the example set by flight attendants and passengers on Laurie’s flight and showered kindness on parents of autistic children, rather than turning our backs on them.
You can watch the inspiring story of acceptance and love in the video below!
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