Elaine Gibson

IMAGINE

Imagine what life must be like
Waking up each day
Dreading where you're going
Terrified and unable to simply say.

Imagine feeling all alone
But desperate to reach out
No one understanding
You just want to scream and shout.

Imagine thinking you have friends
But then they desert you and they tease
They make you feel so lonely
"Can someone just see me please!"

Imagine standing in a room
Senses overloaded, too much to bear
Wanting to escape and hide
Not for people to stop and stare.

Now imagine that you are a child
And re-read that all once more
Could you deal with the fears and anxieties?
Or would you curl up on the floor?

Imagine being that young child
With all these thoughts running through your head just wanting to feel accepted
Not misunderstood and left out instead.

Now imagine you're that child's parent
How do you help when no words are spoken?
Just be there and support them
Pick up the pieces when they are broken.

For some we don't imagine
This is our parental life we lead
We just ask for more understanding
To help our children to succeed.

Finally, after four years of being told "he'll grow out of it" our son was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Now 12 years old he still finds verbal communication and social interaction difficult and has sensory issues too.

With more awareness and understanding hopefully our son, and others like him, will be able to feel part of their community and enjoy life.

People need to accept that it is ok to be different and not judge others who are.