Dear World,
It’s Robert’s Mummy here. Well, not quite here, but here in spirit.
I want to share with you my hopes for Robert’s future now that I am gone. I hope you will be kind to Robert. I hope you will understand his stims when he’s finding the joy in the simple things of life – like a train approaching the platform or the doors of an elevator closing. He may be loud and make odd noises but he is, in fact, happy. He will flap his hands and wiggle his fingers; this is Robert’s way of processing his sensory experience of the world around him. We share the same world, but his perception of it is different from ours.
Equally, I hope you show him the patience he deserves. Sometimes it takes him a little longer than you and I take to do little things, but that’s alright. Patience is a virtue. Perhaps you could help as he isn’t always able to seek help himself. I suppose we can all be guilty of that at times in our own lives.
I hope that during moments of struggle and anxiety for Robert, a friendly face will reassure and calm any storm he is enduring. It can be difficult at times to reach Robert when he is in the midst of a meltdown, but you must persevere. It will pass. Deep breaths, kind words and space.
I hope you keep him safe. Robert will run and not look back. He has no sense of fear or danger, so you must keep him safe. You should always be aware of this. As his mother, I put my faith in you that you will protect him at all costs.
I hope that you will listen to Robert. His understanding of our world is one that should be heard. We can all learn so much from him if we just take the time to listen. He may not always communicate verbally in the traditional sense, but so much of communication in life is found in non-verbal actions. Pay attention to the way he looks at things, responds to things and manages things. There is so much in that for us to see.
And finally, I hope that you will love him. Love him the way I have loved him with every fibre of my being, with every breath I have taken in my life.
Yours truly,
Robert’s Mummy