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Be understanding of children with hidden disabilities

We're both sitting in the living room with headphones on listening to music.  Trying to drown out the noise of our youngest son shouting the same thing over and over and over, while playing with his cars.

Asking him to stop he just shouts louder and says no.   

We've been to Portsmouth today he wanted to walk a particular way and did not want to go to the toilet, so started screaming and throwing himself on the floor.  People looking on assuming we are bad parents.  As I pick him up his feet swing wildly striking me in the shins while he puts his whole body weight down through his legs causing me to need to waddle. The screaming continues as we head into the toilets.

To the naked eye you would think this is just a normal childhood tantrum. However this child is wearing a sunflower lanyard. This indicates that he has a hidden disability.  Yes James is verbal but he has autism, social and communication delay.  Mentally he is a 2 year old who struggles massively with social situations. The pandemic has made this worse, as he is worried if other people come towards us. 

I have Autism too and Tourettes Syndrome  and Dyspraxia.  So certain noises and sensations set my verbal tics off.  I have social anxiety so people staring at me makes things much worse. My tics  make me feel very bad and I don't want to swear in front of James. In such situations it feels like the pit of my stomach is filled with energy that must be released or I will explode, so eventually out it comes.  This leaves me feeling very guilty.  However there is nothing I can do except try to breathe through it. 

He doesn't mean to do these things, he is just scared too and struggles to fit into this world, like I have my whole life. 

If you see a child having such a meltdown please don't stare or say something negative, as this parent might be doing all they can to help their child. 

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