linwessels's blog

I often say that I wish there were two of me but that the world has a difficult enough time coping with but one. I do so wish that I could boast Lin, the mother warrior of all things autism and Lin, the person that must join the ranks of the world as we know it. The world where you earn a pay check, care for your family and home, contribute to society and are considered a productive asset to your community. For me, it is near impossible to be both. Autism demands entirely too much time and attention. You or least I end up choosing one over the other. I chose my son, who has autism.

There’s been an awful lot of talk about the intense amount of stress that autism parents experience compared to other parents. http://www.topautismsites.com/r/News/Mothers_Of_Children_With_Autism_Hav... Even more stressed than parents of children with varying disabilities when compared with autism. http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/14/for-mothers-the-stress-of-autism/ And then there are those which serve to expand upon the reasons. http://autism.about.com/b/2009/07/16/why-is-autism-stressful-for-parents...

I’ve been very discourage as of late. There is a shadow of darkness and gloom hanging over our community. A heinous monster which only serves to defeat us, only serves to further distance us, conquer and divide.

Maybe you’ve come to realize it too? That ugly assaulting being is none other than each other. It’s no secret that there exist two entirely different pools of thought in the autism community. Those of us who desire to improve upon our loved one’s health to the point that they recover from autism, and those who feel threatened by the concept.

Hi there. I’m Lin Wessels, otherwise known as Sam’s mom. I am an autism activist of sorts, which is how I ended up here, on AutismOne, as a blogger. My profile picture reflects my attempts at political activism on behalf of our families with autism. The more I understand about politics, the more contacts I make on The Hill, the more meetings I attend with our representatives, the more I feel exactly as that picture depicts…..locked on the outside, trying to get in. Sometimes I do truly wonder why I even bother. But then, I remember the alternative, do nothing.