AutismOnTheHill retweetledi
This afternoon in the Canadian House of Commons, I presented my annual 60-second statement for World Autism Month. I hope you’ll take just a minute to watch and share.
Here’s the text:
“April is World Autism Month, and now 28 years since my son, Jaden, was diagnosed. Today, Jaden’s 30 and an enthusiastic extrovert, but back then he seemed almost completely stuck in his own world. Our instinct at the time was to try to help him by pulling him into our world. And it did help.
I’ve since gravitated to a slightly different approach. These days, I spend more time in Jaden’s world – getting down close to him, looking at what he's looking at, tuning into what holds his attention in the moment.
When I intentionally pause, put the phone away, and just sit still with Jaden, I experience things I normally miss – the sense of wonder gazing out a train window, the value of non-verbal communication, or the strength of connection through physical contact - a hug, a tussle, a tickle, or Jaden’s famous high-five.
We too often default to defining people like Jaden by the help they need. But, in my experience, I’ve learned many of the most important things in my life from him.
Jaden has helped me, I hope, to be a better person than I’d have been without him. And for that, I am truly thankful.”
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