If it is to be, it is up to me - Put you hand up for a committee

Miles aged 3

Ten two-letter words with a simple message. Some years ago I heard an Australian Sporting Champion say that these words changed his life.  He realised that if he wanted something to happen it required some effort from himself.  These words can have equal value for parents of children with disabilities such as Autism Spectrum Disorders.

            In this era of ‘economic rationalism’ and ‘user pays’ it is obvious that ‘nothing comes of nothing’ and if we want to improve the services, conditions and future options for our less-abled family members we have to be prepared to take some action ourselves.

            But I hear you say, (Dare I say it?) “I’m just a parent! We need experts to run committees, form plans of action, make decisions and tell us what to do.”  Our sense of self worth has taken a battering over the years.

            My response is that as parents of disabled children we have undergone a rigorous, intensive training in many areas of expertise.  We have learned to manage our time to fit in all the requirements of coordinating our family’s special needs with a balance that gives rights to all our children.   We have developed creative strategies and adaptability to cope with the demands of living with a person with autism spectrum disorders.  We have learned to plan and organise and run our households whilst sometimes going outside our homes to seek employment.  These are valuable skills.

            Then I hear you say, “What can one person do?”

            My reply is, “Work out what you want and find others who want similar things and work together.”

            A committee is an ideal example of a group of people who want things to happen and are prepared to act together in the hope of  achieving their goals.  A committee is always looking for new input, new ideas and renewed energy.  Your effort is vital.

            You’re getting edgy now.  I can tell you’re shuffling your feet and muttering, “I haven’t the time.”

            I say, “Who has?”

            We are all busy people made busier by the demands of our special families but if we all take that attitude nothing will improve.  There’s another cliché I can throw in here - ‘If you want to get something done, ask a busy person’.  Your time management skills should allow you to find a few hours a month for a common aim.

            What better way to realise a personal goal (and convey the value and needs of people with autism spectrum disorders) than to work for improvements in this area?

            Each of us is on a journey that has a choice of destinations and many stops along the way but, (here’s another cliché) ‘Every journey begins with the first step’.  It’s nice to have travelling companions.  Your first step could be to go to an Annual General Meeting and decide to be part of a group of people who want things to happen for people with disabilities and their families.

Liz Wilks