Yesterday, in Part One<\/a><\/span> of her series, guest blogger Sarah Broady mentioned how autism overload is part of every day life for her family. She writes about it on Facebook, thinks about it on dates with her husband, and talks about it on the phone with friends. Today, she explains how she’s come to terms with autism\u2013the elephant in the room\u2013over the past few years. I am happy to say autism doesn\u2019t bother me nearly as much as it did a year ago. Before coming to what I think was true acceptance of my son having autism, I grieved over every one of these thoughts. Sometimes I was in autopilot mode and did what I needed to do or made the necessary decisions in the moment without falling apart. But for all the internal thoughts, for every post I read or wrote about autism, for every d\u00e9j\u00e0<\/span> vu realization that this autism thing was really real, I grieved. It came in various ways, which would require a whole different post, but it came.<\/p>\n There are probably<\/span> definitely parents out there who might read this and be angry at me or maybe just angry in general. Angry that I\u2019m okay with something that isn\u2019t okay, even though they understand the continuous onslaught of autism questions and musings. Frustrated that they are not there yet. Not that I have reached some pinnacle of acceptance that negates any grief of future challenges. I\u2019m not trying to brag that I don\u2019t struggle like everyone else. I do. It\u2019s just that things are different now. My struggles are the same, but the way I handle them takes on a different form. Usually. <\/b><\/i>I\u2019ve just come to accept that this is part of my life, so it doesn\u2019t always bother me to see so much autism stuff in my email and Facebook news feed.<\/p>\n I think that this is one area of my life that is proof positive of the hope that I have always clung to that is real and true: Jesus is King and is making all things new\u2013now<\/i>. I can\u2019t wait for the day when autism is no longer a struggle because all struggles will be ultimately and finally conquered forever. But for now, He has given me grace more than sufficient for my need to be okay in a not okay world.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re not okay right now, bogged down in the autism world, that\u2019s okay. We don\u2019t have to be okay all the time. I just want you to know that Jesus is your \u201chope in autism\u201d with immeasurable grace for your every need. Please feel free to contact me at <\/i>sarah@spacelots.com<\/a><\/span> if you need someone to talk with. Sometimes you just need another person who can honestly say, \u201cI understand.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n You can also read more about Sarah and her family at her blog Hope in Autism<\/a>.<\/p>\n Autism Overload and Elephants in the Room: Part 1<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n Do you like what you see at DifferentDream.com? You can receive more great content by subscribing to the quarterly Different Dream newsletter and signing up for the daily RSS feed delivered to your email inbox. You can sign up for the first in the pop up box and the second at the bottom of this page.<\/em><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column_inner][\/et_pb_row_inner][et_pb_row_inner _builder_version=”4.4.2″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column_inner saved_specialty_column_type=”3_4″ _builder_version=”4.4.2″ background_color=”#b4dbc0″ custom_padding=”20px|20px|20px|20px|false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_blurb title=”@ET-DC@eyJkeW5hbWljIjp0cnVlLCJjb250ZW50IjoicG9zdF9hdXRob3IiLCJzZXR0aW5ncyI6eyJiZWZvcmUiOiJCeSAiLCJhZnRlciI6IiIsIm5hbWVfZm9ybWF0IjoiZGlzcGxheV9uYW1lIiwibGluayI6Im9uIiwibGlua19kZXN0aW5hdGlvbiI6ImF1dGhvcl9hcmNoaXZlIn19@” image=”@ET-DC@eyJkeW5hbWljIjp0cnVlLCJjb250ZW50IjoicG9zdF9hdXRob3JfcHJvZmlsZV9waWN0dXJlIiwic2V0dGluZ3MiOnt9fQ==@” icon_placement=”left” image_max_width=”100px” content_max_width=”800px” _builder_version=”4.4.2″ _dynamic_attributes=”image,title” header_font=”Rubik|500|||||||” header_text_color=”#44465f” header_font_size=”14px” header_line_height=”32px” body_font=”Rubik||||||||” body_text_color=”rgba(0,6,69,0.6)” body_link_text_color=”#ffffff” custom_css_main_element=”font-weight: 400;” border_radii_image=”on|100px|100px|100px|100px” border_color_all_image=”#ffffff” box_shadow_style_image=”preset1″ box_shadow_vertical_image=”20px” box_shadow_blur_image=”40px” box_shadow_color_image=”rgba(68,70,95,0.27)” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Sarah Broady and her husband have three boys. Their second son is autistic. Sarah is an autism advocate and has spoken to state capitol committees to secure better services on behalf of families living with autism. Her greatest joy comes in being an encouragement to other parents who are walking the same road she is walking. She blogs about their life raising a son with autism as they hope and delight in God at\u00a0<\/span>Hope in Autism<\/a>.\u00a0and interviews people involved with disabilities and special needs at\u00a0<\/span>A Special Hope Podcast<\/a>. She is also writing a book that gives hope in Jesus on the special needs path. She speaks at Christian-related special needs events to reach parents on a more personal level. You can contact Sarah through her blog or by email at\u00a0<\/span>sarah@hopeinautism.com<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_blurb][\/et_pb_column_inner][\/et_pb_row_inner][et_pb_row_inner _builder_version=”4.4.2″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column_inner saved_specialty_column_type=”3_4″ _builder_version=”4.4.2″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_comments _builder_version=”4.4.2″ custom_button=”on” button_text_color=”#42313A” button_bg_color=”#EBDCB2″ global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_comments][\/et_pb_column_inner][\/et_pb_row_inner][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_4″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_sidebar _builder_version=”4.4.2″ global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_sidebar][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.9.2″ use_background_color_gradient=”on” background_color_gradient_start=”#42313A” background_color_gradient_end=”#EBDCB2″ background_color_gradient_direction=”159deg” custom_padding=”0px|0px|0px|0px|false|false” border_width_all=”3px” border_color_all=”#1c1259″ saved_tabs=”all” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_2,1_2″ use_custom_gutter=”on” gutter_width=”1″ _builder_version=”4.9.2″ width=”100%” max_width=”100%” custom_margin=”||0px||false|false” custom_padding=”25px|0px|5px|0px|false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ module_class=”horizontal_optin_column_1″ _builder_version=”4.3.4″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.4.2″ header_text_align=”right” header_text_color=”#45107a” header_3_font=”Dancing Script|700|||||||” header_3_text_align=”center” header_3_text_color=”#B4DBC0″ header_3_font_size=”45px” custom_margin=”10px||||false|false” custom_padding=”||||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.3.4″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_signup mailchimp_list=”JolenePhilo|89f719a52b” layout=”bottom_top” first_name_fullwidth=”off” last_name_field=”off” email_fullwidth=”off” module_class=”custom_emailoptin” _builder_version=”4.4.2″ form_field_focus_background_color=”#42313A” background_enable_color=”off” custom_button=”on” button_text_size=”16px” button_text_color=”#42313A” button_bg_color=”#B4DBC0″ button_border_width=”2px” button_border_radius=”0px” button_font=”|||on|||||” button_use_icon=”off” button_custom_margin=”5px||||false|false” button_custom_padding=”0px|0px|0px|0px|false|false” custom_padding=”0px|0px|0px|0px|false|false” border_width_all_fields=”2px” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_signup][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.4.2″ custom_padding=”0px|||||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.4.2″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.4.2″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.4.2″ header_font=”EB Garamond|600|||||||” header_text_color=”#B6452C” header_font_size=”50px” header_text_shadow_style=”preset1″ global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.4.2″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.4.2″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_blog fullwidth=”off” posts_number=”3″ include_categories=”current” show_more=”on” _builder_version=”4.4.2″ header_text_color=”#42313A” meta_font=”||on||||||” read_more_font=”|||on|||||” read_more_text_color=”#B6452C” read_more_font_size=”12px” pagination_text_color=”#B6452C” pagination_font_size=”20px” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_blog][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Autism overload is common to parents raising kids on the spectrum. Sarah Broady explains how autism leads to grief and acceptance through faith.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":10387,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"[caption id=\"attachment_10387\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"500\"]
<\/em><\/p>\nAutism Overload and Elephants in the Room, Pt 2<\/h3>\n
Autism Overload and Grief<\/h4>\n
Autism Overload and Acceptance<\/h4>\n
Autism Overload and Faith<\/h4>\n
Invitation to Talk<\/h4>\n
Subscribe for Updates from Jolene<\/h3>\n
Related Posts<\/h1>\n
![\"Autism](\"http:\/\/differentdream.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Autism-Elephant-2.jpg\")
<\/a> Photo Credit: vectorolie at www.freedigitalphotos.net<\/a>[\/caption]\n\nYesterday, in Part One<\/a> of her series, guest blogger Sarah Broady<\/a> mentioned how autism overload is part of every day life for her family. She writes about it on Facebook, thinks about it on dates with her husband, and talks about it on the phone with friends. Today, she explains how she's come to terms with autism\u2013the elephant in the room\u2013over the past few years.\n<\/em>\nAutism Overload and Elephants in the Room, Pt 2<\/h3>\n
Autism Overload and Grief<\/h4>\nI am happy to say autism doesn\u2019t bother me nearly as much as it did a year ago. Before coming to what I think was true acceptance of my son having autism, I grieved over every one of these thoughts. Sometimes I was in autopilot mode and did what I needed to do or made the necessary decisions in the moment without falling apart. But for all the internal thoughts, for every post I read or wrote about autism, for every deja vu realization that this autism thing was really real, I grieved. It came in various ways, which would require a whole different post, but it came.\n
Autism Overload and Acceptance<\/h4>\nThere are probably<\/span> definitely parents out there who might read this and be angry at me or maybe just angry in general. Angry that I\u2019m okay with something that isn\u2019t okay, even though they understand the continuous onslaught of autism questions and musings. Frustrated that they are not there yet. Not that I have reached some pinnacle of acceptance that negates any grief of future challenges. I\u2019m not trying to brag that I don\u2019t struggle like everyone else. I do. It\u2019s just that things are different now. My struggles are the same, but the way I handle them takes on a different form. Usually. <\/b><\/i>I\u2019ve just come to accept that this is part of my life, so it doesn\u2019t always bother me to see so much autism stuff in my email and Facebook news feed.\n
Autism Overload and Faith<\/h4>\nI think that this is one area of my life that is proof positive of the hope that I have always clung to that is real and true: Jesus is King and is making all things new\u2013now<\/i>. I can\u2019t wait for the day when autism is no longer a struggle because all struggles will be ultimately and finally conquered forever. But for now, He has given me grace more than sufficient for my need to be okay in a not okay world.\n
Invitation to Talk<\/h4>\nIf you\u2019re not okay right now, bogged down in the autism world, that\u2019s okay. We don\u2019t have to be okay all the time. I just want you to know that Jesus is your \u201chope in autism\u201d with immeasurable grace for your every need. Please feel free to contact me at <\/i>sarah@spacelots.com if you need someone to talk with. Sometimes you just need another person who can honestly say, \u201cI understand.\u201d<\/i>\n\nYou can also read more about Sarah and her family at her blog Hope in Autism<\/a>.\n\nPart 1<\/a>\n\nDo you like what you see at DifferentDream.com? You can receive more great content by subscribing to the quarterly Different Dream newsletter and signing up for the daily RSS feed delivered to your email inbox. You can sign up for the first in the pop up box and the second at the bottom of this page.<\/em>","_et_gb_content_width":"2880","footnotes":""},"categories":[3559,3615,3583],"tags":[98,403,533,3705,3886],"class_list":["post-10386","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-different-dream","category-encouragement","category-spiritual-support","tag-autism","tag-faith","tag-grief","tag-guest-blogger","tag-sarah-broady"],"yoast_head":"\n