Nothing's wrong with Liam - it's THEM

[Guest guest]

Jody,

I so know what you are talking about. I live it daily with Max,

believe it or not. And he is going to be 16 in July. It makes me

so angry inside when people comment on the way he looks or the way

he is acting or what he is eating. I think it is because they feel

insecure themselves and are trying to " normalize " things in their

own minds. It just is inconceivable for some to acknowledge that a

child can be sick, or allergic, or have a sydrome, or not eat, etc.

and they make these stupid comments that appear to challenge what

you are doing. It really is just their own insecurities. Perhaps

if you look at it more that way then you will be able to take it in

a better way.

I'm not good with the replies, either. Usually I just let the

person know that I heard him/her and change the subject. I've been

living this for so long that I don't want to explain anymore. I

just want Max to be happy and thrive and learn to deal with his

issues in a healthy way. Actually, Max has gotten quite good at

coming up with his own replies or trying to ignore inconsiderate or

ignorant comments. He handles things better than I do!

High school has been the best thing to happen to Max. He is not

treated as a " special " kid. He is treated like the other teens and

the expectations for him are high. He respects his teachers and

they respect him. Of course, he cannot keep up with the " regular "

kids, but it is not thrown in his face. Now if only I could teach

the rest of the world to treat him the same way....

Jodi Z.