I've started going to a few course ran by the local Sure Start, ds3 in creche, older two in school, some lovely time to myself. Last week I started a Christmas Craft course, a bit naff, but fun all the same. I only know two people on this course, and the others know nothing about ds2 having ASD and dyspraxia.
Anyway, as women do we were taling about pregnancies and births, and I realised that some women are so small minded when it comes to disabilities. This one woman was talking about having to have tests when she was pregnant because he was at risk of having one of "those downs babies" and that because she was high risk but needle phobic she decided not to have the amnio, but to wait until she saw the face when the baby was born. "There was no way I would have kept him if he had those eyes" and "he'd have gone straight to social services" were just two of her comments. A couple of others then went on to say how they wouldn't want an autistic child because they can't be loved or give you love back.
Made me feel so and . I really had to bite my tongue, but couln't at the end and told them about their small minded opinions and that I happened to have a son with autism who was very much capable of giving me a cuddle and loved me just as much as any other kid would. Made for a very uncomfortable atmosphere for the rest of the afternoon, but I bet they'll think twice about talking about that around me again.
Not even sure I want to go back tbh. But if I don't then I'll be stuck indoors thinking that I'm being talked about at the next group.
How can people think like that? Really? I know I'm only looking at it one sided as I have to live with it on a day to day basis, but some of their comments were just vile. They saw it as a laughing jokey conversation as well, not a serious one. Lets all poke fun at disabled kids, because we are vile.