When your child looks normal....

Our daughter does not look disabled. There is no splint, no wheelchair, no facial abnormalities, or bent body parts. We are very fortunate in that respect. The only sense you get there is something wrong when you look at her is when she gets excited, She slaps her hands back and forth together or she will bite her shirt. You really get an a sense of something is wrong when she starts to talk. She has her own language. I used to try and explain to people when they looked at me for a translation. However, even I didn't understand what she is trying to say. We have made progress in understanding her and we have been grateful for that. In public we try to keep our daughters distresses down to a minimum to avoid any discomfort all the way around. However, because she doesn't look disabled and she throws a fit, people look at us as we are bad parents or she is an alien. If we ask for special consideration because waiting would lead to a fit, people look at us with disbelief. They have to see the fit first. I look at my daughter and wonder what is she thinking. I try and guess what will set her off before she goes. Its not easy. I know people will look, but I wonder can they not be so judgemental?