Case Study – A Dad's View of our Parent Carer Sessions

It's parent support group tomorrow.....

A fleeting chance to 'let your hair down' with other carer/parents; individuals bonded together by lived experiences many people would find hard to comprehend.

A friendly group of familiar faces, with more than a few worry lines and grey hairs between us. Newcomers are warmly welcomed, no explanation required. Most people wouldn't attend a support group like ours unless they really needed to.

We all gather in a circle, silence descends; some simply stare at the ground; others look around, making occasional eye contact, exchanging smiles and suggestive facial expressions. Who will start? That's what we expectantly wait for.

This, right now, is the moment I love. Absolutely love. The building anticipation before the storm. Can I hold on, waiting it out a bit more, or should I break the drought?

You would think parents of autistic girls, many of whom are autistic themselves, would have worked out a starting routine by now. But no, we wing it every time.

It's not quite telling jokes at a wake, but it's certainly dark-humoured at times. We laugh, we cry, we cry with laughter; but most of all, we feel better amongst understanding company.

I can't give you examples of anything shared, as it's confidential, but perhaps that's your hook to become a 'fly on the wall' one day?

Participation is voluntary, a clarification worth making right now, should you be contemplating a first-time appearance at our support group.

Anyhow, as one of the dads once said, 'Raising autistic girls isn't for the faint-hearted'.