That's Life!

 Well hitting the end of what's turned out to be a fairly interesting Autism Acceptance Month (I'm being kind) and realized that I've not felt this burned-out (both physically and mentally) for years.

 

 

Then it hit me that I'm actually just coming to terms with the fact that nothing has change in regards to the ongoing issues we're dealing with (from housing repairs to Social Work woes and a complete lack of any support - you can read about it here) alongside a few new ones thrown in (up?) for good measure.

Yes, we're still having to escort the kids to and from college (and in Cassidy's case stay with him all day) but now with the added stress of the girls college completely fucking up Embeth's application for next year and none of the staff involved appearing to actually either turn up at work or be able to answer emails.

And they say we have a communication problem.

It's just another thing in the whole 'death by a thousand cuts' situation we're in at the moment.

Plus there's the grim realisation that the majority of organisations who are there to allegedly  help families like ours are more concerned with chasing funding and saying the right things whilst Social Work still seem to think that constantly harping on about stress and being understaffed is an acceptable excuse for sheer incompetence.

Even the Parliamentary Cross-Party Autism Panel seems to be more concerned with having a (special) seat at the table rather than actually doing something constructive with it.

Add to this there seems to be a rise in the absolute disdain and hatred for Autistic folk from the likes of RFK Jr. in the States and Nigel Farage, Tom Harwood and everyone in the Labour Party in the UK which in turn has emboldened a vocal group of 'Autism Parents' to use it as a stick to beat so-called 'high functioning' adults with and lecture us on 'the truth' of our 'tragic condition', completely forgetting that not only do many of us have Autistic kids but maybe, just maybe have a wee bit of an insight into Autism as well.

Obviously tho' this doesn't sit well when you're playing Autism Tragedy Top Trumps. 

 

 

If anything it seems that any/all awareness or acceptance that had built up has now all but disappeared in the last 20 odd years which is as depressing as it is scary.

I mean it's been almost 70 years since Autism was first mentioned in the NHS with the work done at Maudsley Hospital, London and look where we are.

No coherent support or social policies and an education system either underfunded or unfit for purpose.

Even the NHS can't get the language around Autism right, this came to a head a few months back where after attending an emergency hospital appointment (a stress stim I have often causes pulled muscles but my doctor was worried it was a blood clot which was nice) the consultant I saw, in Glasgow's flagship hospital no less, after I'd explained stimming to him calmly asked "Well can you just not do it then?"

C'mon, I mean we're better than this surely?

And why am I ranting away like this?

To be honest I've no idea why myself tho' it has been said before that righteous anger seems to empower me more than anything else.

And to be honest I've precious little energy to keep me going right now.

Hopefully I'll be back to writing funny stuff soon.