I was raised by a NT parent and an ASD parent. I remember my childhood being fairly normal until I was 12 and my NT parent unexpectedly died. Things fell apart from there, and I am just now as an adult realizing my father was an ASD parent through therapy for panic attacks and sexual abuse in my teen years (not by my ASD parent, just unnoticed by my ASD parent). To my knowledge, at 69 years old, he is unaware of what makes him different.
My advice is if you have children, do not isolate them from others. Make sure there is a large familial support system of NT family members who can identify and address a NT child's social and psychological needs. If you do not have that support system, do not have children. If you do, I think it is okay to have children, but make sure your partner or a relative is the primary caregiver for the child. Also make sure whoever is the primary care giver has a support system.
Isolation was the most difficult part of being an NT child... I do not really have a relationship with my ASD parent anymore... and I am not sure he knows that. That hurts more than the isolation.
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I was raised by a NT parent and an ASD parent. I remember my childhood being fairly normal until I was 12 and my NT parent unexpectedly died. Things fell apart from there, and I am just now as an adult realizing my father was an ASD parent through therapy for panic attacks and sexual abuse in my teen years (not by my ASD parent, just unnoticed by my ASD parent). To my knowledge, at 69 years old, he is unaware of what makes him different.
My advice is if you have children, do not isolate them from others. Make sure there is a large familial support system of NT family members who can identify and address a NT child's social and psychological needs. If you do not have that support system, do not have children. If you do, I think it is okay to have children, but make sure your partner or a relative is the primary caregiver for the child. Also make sure whoever is the primary care giver has a support system.
Isolation was the most difficult part of being an NT child... I do not really have a relationship with my ASD parent anymore... and I am not sure he knows that. That hurts more than the isolation.
June 6, 2019 - 1:54pmThis Comment
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