“If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away.” – Henry David Thoreau

Boy.

Good ‘ol Henry sure knew what he was talking about, didn’t he?

If that quote doesn’t perfectly sum up our journey with our special needs son Andrew, then I don’t know what does.

This kid not only walks to a different beat

he IS the drummer, creating his own rhythm each and every day, unaffected that the world may not be listening to the same tune.

 

That can be pretty scary for a parent, knowing that your child cannot keep pace with his companions, that he doesn’t always hear the same music.

 

But then

your eye catches a glimpse of a greeting card in the middle of Trader Joe’s

and you are quickly reminded

that for the most part,

you prefer the sound of your son’s song anyway.

 

 

Have you been reading my Special Needs Column with OC Moms for The Orange County Register? Why the heck not? It runs every Sunday online. My latest piece, Autism advice: When saying nothing is better than saying anything at all, has generated a lot of support within the autism community, so don’t be left behind, go check it out! You can also become a Fan of OC Moms on Facebook; we are a diverse group of writers covering a wide range of topics relating to parenting and hot topics! As always, thank you dear readers for your support!