My mother in law fell again. She is OK, with nothing broken, but did hurt herself, and is struggling with pain. And now, we are struggling with the pain brought by the mass shooting in Newtown. In a strange way, these events are related.
I think we are very close tothe point where Mom is not going to be able to live by herself and Bil any more. Pure and simple- society does not support individuals with Aspergers or autism, doesn't support their families, doesn't support their siblings, or their parents.
At Christmastime, we are going to have to talk about Mom's future and Bil's. It isn't going to be a pleasant conversation. But she is now at the age where injuries are just not going to heal. And Bil really can't help her anymore.
Bil is one broken hip (his mother's) away from a major life change - and our lives, too.
And that broken hip will make Bil homeless, if Mom has to leave her home for more than a year.
And then, what?
Do you know what I am afraid of? The aftermath of Newtown and the horrific shooting there by a 20 year old man who was obviously mentally ill.
There are rumors that the shooter had Asperger's Syndrome. People are going to equate his mental illness with Aspergers Syndrome. And then what? Will people become afraid of all individuals with Aspergers?
I think we've just seen the tip of the iceberg.
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