I'm a huge fan of Cathy Glass, an author who wrote books about fostering children. I've listened to a lot of the audiobooks, and most of the children were very disturbed and had behavioural problems.
Usually her parents in the books were understanding and accepting of the children she fostered, no matter how bad they were. But one of the children she fostered had autism, and her parents got really offended when he sat at the dinner table with his hands over his ears because he was frightened and overwhelmed of having visitors eating at the table. Then he ran out of the kitchen and hid upstairs, the foster carer having to go after him to help console him. He was only six.
But her family were very critical and unforgiving of his behaviour - even though they were used to all sorts of children with all sorts of behaviours. Some of the NT children she fostered (NT meaning no developmental disorders they were born with) behaved worse than the autistic child, and even showed similar behaviours to an autistic child in some ways due to PTSD, and some were very rude, unsociable, angry, unpredictable, manic, and even sexually inappropriate. But the family seemed to forgive that, but when it comes to autism they were very offended and annoyed with him, even though he was only little and nowhere near as badly behaved as some of the foster children they had met in the past.
You'd have thought the family would understand a cute little 6-year-old with developmental delays. The poor boy was put in foster care because his parents (particularly his dad) couldn't understand his feelings.
Every child in care, no matter what circumstances, are different and have different needs, issues and behaviours. So why should a little autistic boy be marginalised compared to other little boys and girls with complex learning, emotional and behavioural problems? Surely to them the boy should just be seen as another foster child with unique needs and behaviour that needn't be taken personally?
Usually her parents in the books were understanding and accepting of the children she fostered, no matter how bad they were. But one of the children she fostered had autism, and her parents got really offended when he sat at the dinner table with his hands over his ears because he was frightened and overwhelmed of having visitors eating at the table. Then he ran out of the kitchen and hid upstairs, the foster carer having to go after him to help console him. He was only six.
But her family were very critical and unforgiving of his behaviour - even though they were used to all sorts of children with all sorts of behaviours. Some of the NT children she fostered (NT meaning no developmental disorders they were born with) behaved worse than the autistic child, and even showed similar behaviours to an autistic child in some ways due to PTSD, and some were very rude, unsociable, angry, unpredictable, manic, and even sexually inappropriate. But the family seemed to forgive that, but when it comes to autism they were very offended and annoyed with him, even though he was only little and nowhere near as badly behaved as some of the foster children they had met in the past.
You'd have thought the family would understand a cute little 6-year-old with developmental delays. The poor boy was put in foster care because his parents (particularly his dad) couldn't understand his feelings.
Every child in care, no matter what circumstances, are different and have different needs, issues and behaviours. So why should a little autistic boy be marginalised compared to other little boys and girls with complex learning, emotional and behavioural problems? Surely to them the boy should just be seen as another foster child with unique needs and behaviour that needn't be taken personally?
