I just want to say in response to your story on autism how much again this story pains me

Angela McDonough letter

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I just want to say in response to your story on autism how much again this story pains me. I am the mom of a 5 yr old autistic boy. My son is high functioning but your story didn't even come close to touching what autism is really like . At 4 years old, my son tried to poke his own eyes out but thank god I caught him. When I asked him why he would want to do such a thing, he looked at me and said "then mommy, you take me to doctor and I be normal".

Why did this sweet little boy say this? You're thinking probably because everywhere he goes he is brutally picked on and teased by his peers and adults alike . Kids have chased this child thru parks with sticks trying to hit him. They have called him stupid and retarded which he is most definitely not. Kids make fun of the way he talks, walks and plays. My son is scared to death of being 1st at anything for fear that if it's something he can't do, the other kids will make fun of him. At 5 yrs old he calls himself a loser. He wants to play soccer but is afraid that if he does the other kids will make fun of the way he runs because when you watch this child run around the back yard he looks like a stroke victim.

When my son was a baby he developed at average to about average until around age 2 when it seemed that all hell in him broke loose. He started beating himself brutally on the head over and over again daily. He stopped talking. The only toy this child would play with was a black crayon, on my walls drawing sad faces mostly. He wouldn't play with other kids anymore and even wanted very little to do with me or his father. He stayed by himself.

I couldn't take him out in public without what we parents like to call MELTDOWNS. A meltdown is something between the worst terrible twos tantrum you have ever seen in combination with a nervous breakdown. That's the best way I can describe what they are like. I as his mother have been told by complete strangers who know nothing of my son or autism things like if that were my child I would spank him, if that were my child he wouldn't act like that in public. (My response to that one is usually then you would never leave the house because my son has autism and he truly can't help the way he acts.)

Before my son was diagnosed with autism I felt like I could do nothing right no matter what I did for him. After the age of 2 he wasn't the same child I had been given at birth and I knew in my heart something was completely wrong with him. But getting doctors to tell me what it was took 3 years.

My son started to talk again at 4. I am lucky. A lot never do talk again. He picked it up quickly and thank god he can now talk enough to understand if you listen close to him. My son still can't dress himself at almost 6 yrs old and he is only half potty trained; and I say half because he doesn't have the motor skills to take care of the hygiene part of that. He will go to the bathroom on his own but still needed mom to help clean him up .

Now I ask you do you think this is something that should be sugar-coated like the story you did? I sure do not, but HEY, THIS IS AUTISM .

My son's diagnosis is high functioning/asperger tendencies. His autism was caused by his vaccinations and all of his vaccinations but one contained MERCURY .

Thank you for your time. Now please educate yourself and others by doing a real story about autism