They got me so angry I have to post my very first discussion

[LetMyPeopleVote]

12. What anxious parents of neurodivergent children can learn from Tim and Gwen Walz

The OP hit me hard. I have two children who have ADHD. I am glad that your daughter is doing well. I also admire the Walz for the job they are doing with Gus

Link to tweet

https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnbc-opinion/tim-walz-children-gus-neurodivergent-rcna166748

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’s open acknowledgement that he and his wife used fertility treatments to conceive their two children and his candid discussions about that generated one of the most moving moments during a rally in Glendale, Arizona, when people chanted the name of his firstborn daughter, Hope. The positive reaction to the candidate’s discussion of the topic confirms the thumbs-up that Vice President Kamala Harris got for choosing her running mate from every faction of the Democratic Party — from moderates such as Rep. Abigail Spanberger, D-Va.; progressives such as Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y.; and even erstwhile conservative Democrat Sen. Joe Manchin, I-W.Va., who left the party this year.

But Tim and Gwen Walz also deserve positive attention for the way they’ve discussed their son, Gus, who came into the national spotlight thanks to a piece in People magazine, about his nonverbal learning disorder and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. That makes him double-neurodiverse.

Simply having a neurodivergent son is not enough reason for him to be praised; indeed, many parents of neurodivergent children have been harmful to their children and peddled harmful ideas, including the idea that vaccines cause autism. Rather, what makes the Walz family’s story so reassuring is that they seem to want to help Gus live a good life rather than change who he is.

According to the Child Mind Institute, nonverbal learning disorder, or NVLD, affects nonverbal forms of learning like the ability to notice patterns or learn concepts, including visual and social patterns as well as concepts in language and math. Because of the similar traits, people with NVLD are often confused as being on the autism spectrum and vice versa. Most recently, comedian Chris Rock disclosed that he received a diagnosis after a friend initially thought he might be somewhere on the autism spectrum.....

The Walzes’ words and their embrace of their son may seem utterly unremarkable. But that’s the point. Loving your children, celebrating their gifts and embracing them fully ought to be unremarkable whether they’re neurodivergent or neurotypical. Neurodivergent people deserve parents who are dedicated to helping them thrive. They deserve family members who know that the way they love, interact and see the world, while different from their neurotypical counterparts, deserves the same respect. ......

At the same time, it is still a step forward that the Walz family doesn’t see Gus as deficient and has instead focused on what is possible for him, such as obtaining his driver’s license. Importantly, with the national profile they now have, the Walz family can serve as a model to show parents of children with developmental disabilities the joys that come with embracing, and not mending, their children