Labels

When I was younger, my favorite store to shop in was the Gap. It was an expensive, cool, name brand store and it made me fit in. All my peers were wearing clothes from the Gap and other name brand stores, and at times I was jealous I couldn’t always shop there. Today, you will most likely find me wearing Nike, Under Armor and Athleta. I choose to wear these labels because they represent who I am and how I like to dress. Are labels important? Do you need to have name brand labels? Of course not. But sometimes, wearing a label can help you to be understood and to get the help you need.

When Logan was younger I didn’t want to label him as an autistic child. I wanted Logan to be like everyone else, but I quickly learned that the label would mean everything to us. Without his diagnosis and the label that came along with it, Logan wouldn’t have received any of the services he needed and deserved. If we didn’t receive that diagnosis, Logan most likely would have been labeled as having behavioral issues or as a “bad” child. That was never the case. Logan was just misunderstood. Logan’s “brand name” helped us get to where we are now.

I am writing this because I want others to know that it is ok for your child to be labeled for these specific purposes. That doesn’t make them less than anyone else. In fact, it makes them just that much more special. We teach kids to be proud of who they are. Be proud of your gender, be proud of your skin color, be proud of who you love, so why not be proud of your disability? Be proud of your label. Be proud of your “brand name”. Most importantly, use your “brand name” to help get everything you need in the world. Use it to get the full time aide you know your child needs and deserves. Use it to get the transportation that prevents them from being on a bus with 40 other children because it would be overstimulating.  Use it to have special assistance during standardized tests because taking a test causes unnecessary stress. Use it to advocate for your child and get the help that you and your child need. 

I will be the first to admit that hearing that Logan was on the spectrum was hard. I will also admit that I may have pushed back on services because I didn’t think that Logan needed them.  Sometimes I was right. Sometimes I was wrong. Everything you and your child go through is a lesson. You want the best for your child–I know I do. Don’t let pride, anger or fear stop you and your child from getting the help they need. Everyone should have a “brand name” and be proud of who they are. I am proud of Logan and his label. I am proud of how far we have come. I am glad we have been able to use it to get Logan most everything he needs. I will continue to help Logan get everything he needs for the rest of my life just like any mother would for their child. Love your label, love your “brand name”, love your child for who they are and all they are about to become.