If Wishes Were Kisses...

If wishes were kisses, my son would be smothered daily.  I wish he would eat a vegetable, I wish he would tie his own shoes, I wish he would drink milk, dress without 100 reminders, do his homework independently, pick up his toys.... the list could be endless, but all of these things make up the fun part of James.  I was reading a blog by a fellow Autism blogger, AutismDaddy >>check him out here<<.  This particular blog was a question and answer one.  People posted questions on his Facebook page and he answered them.  One question caught my eye.  He was asked, if he could cure his son of either Autism or Epilepsy, which one would he chose.  James has both Autism and Epilepsy, so I sat back and thought.  It is an interesting question.  So, I went to another authority, my daughter.  I asked her which she would get rid of.  Her answer was Epilepsy, for sure.  She went on to explain:  Epilepsy has the potential to be life threatening.  Autism, although life altering, isn't potentially fatal.
I had had the same thoughts, but I can also see the flip side.  Autism is all encompassing.  It effects every breath, every step, every thought James has.  He has to work incredibly hard to just live in the world he is in.  People with Epilepsy without Autism can live very full and productive lives.  Those with well controlled Epilepsy can hold down a variety of highly regarded jobs.  Here is what I found with a simple Google search >>click here<<
So... If wishes were kisses, I would kiss Epilepsy goodbye and embrace the Autism that is James!   I have a much different perspective though.  James, although originally diagnosed with moderate to severe classic Autism, has responded to ABA so well that his educational Autism diagnosis was almost taken off his IEP this year after his tri-annual evaluation.  We just never know with our kids what is going to be the magic that will make our wishes come true. James eats a horrible diet, doesn't take huge doses of vitamins, is fully vaccinated, watches TV, and plays video games, but is also an ABA success story.   Interesting question though!!

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