Autism Is Not A Gift

Autism is not a gift.

I wish my child didn’t have ASD…

I’m tired of seeing people write about how they wouldn’t change their child because autism is part of them and a gift.

Well I call bs on that.
A gift?

Autism is not a gift.

But my child is gifted.

Agree or not autism IS a disability.

It is not always debilitating but it is not something people would put on a wish list.

But it’s also something I never spend time wishing away.

We are on this autism journey for life whether we like it or not.

But it will not define my son.

Just as depression or cancer or asthma or diabetes doesn’t define who you are.

Autism is nothing to be ashamed of.

Not ever.

But it also isn’t something I’d wish for.

It’s a complicated life living with ASD.

And one we’ve fully embraced for years even pre-diagnosis.

But boy would I eradicate it if I could.

Labels are razors. Change is gut wrenching. Habits are heart breaking. Anxiety is vile. Water is scary. Clothes are never right. Socks are chaos. Public toilets are septic tanks. Sensory overload is torture.

Are people glad their children suffer any of these things when they say that ASD is a gift?

I don’t think so. I think they’re scared and winging it like the rest of us.

My boy has ASD and he is autistic.

We love him beyond love.

I don’t see his ASD as him.

I see his struggles and we tackle them head on daily, sometimes hourly.

I don’t want him to say his ASD is a gift, instead I want him to see it as a challenge.

I want him to take pride in his bravery, his resilience, his achievements.

I want him to know he isn’t just his disability.

But I can’t let him think ASD is a gift.

It’s a pretty naff “gift”.

We’ll keep calling it a challenge because autism is not a gift.

Easter Biscuits – Bunny Backs

We love a little treat over at Swords and Snoodles, especially a festive one so we decided to make some Easter biscuits!

Our Easter biscuits were Bunny Backs and they were so delicious.

They were real easy to make so I thought I’d share the recipe with you.

You will need:

  • 250g butter
  • 140g caster sugar
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 300g plain flour
  • 1 medium/large packet of white chocolate buttons
  • Sprinkles
  • Bunny shaped cookie cutter

Method:

Pre-heat oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas mark 6. Mix 250g softened butter &140g caster sugar into a bowl using a wooden spoon. Add 1 egg yolk & 2 tsp vanilla extract. Beat to combine. Sift in 300g plain flour. Mix in using your fingers. Once you have a good dough chill in the fridge for 20 minutes. Once chilled roll out to 5mm thick onto a floured surface. cut out your biscuit shapes using your cutter and place on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Bake for 12 – 15 minutes until a light golden colour. Once cool, melt to white chocolate buttons but keep aside one button for each biscuit you have made. Using a small spoon cover the bunny ears in white chocolate and cover in sprinkles. Using the melted chocolate as edible glue stick a chocolate button onto each bunny biscuit as its tail. Shake off excess sprinkles and serve.