The Loneliness of Being a ‘Special Needs’ Parent is Real
written by Heather Marcoux, published on motherly
For many people, becoming a parent opens the door to new communities. A secret language is unlocked through shared experiences and you find you have so much in common with these fellow parents that used to be strangers. Your kids are different people, but they are doing the same things. You’re on the same path.
But when you’re parenting a child whose brain or body works differently it can feel like the shared language of parenting is a foreign tongue. A diagnosis can feel like your membership card is being revoked or like you’re being forced to walk alone.
As a mom in Australia recently put it, “The hardest part of being a special needs parent is the isolation.” That mother went viral for opening up about the overwhelming loneliness she felt after her son was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). What she felt is a common experience for parents of kids with disabilities—and we need to talk about that.