I'm genuinely sorry to hear that your son is struggling. I cannot comprehend how difficult and stressful that must be for you as a parent
I can however speak to what it's like being autistic and what would have helped me growing up - and it's wasn't medicine
I had my share of meltdowns and they were pretty much exclusively caused by being forced to fit into a rigid school system where my "weirdness" was punished by both teachers and my classmates
What I needed was teachers who had been educated in supporting neurodivergent children, a safe space where I could have gone when I needed to decompress, an academic schedule that was geared towards my needs, and counselling to help me navigate a society that is designed by and for neurotypical people
That my brain is wired differently than it is in a neurotypical person is not a medical condition
What enrages me is when I'm treated as if I'm somehow broken and need fixing. I'm sick and tired of being discriminated against and I'm even more tired of people arguing that it's somehow a super power
My needs and preferences might be different from other people, but I'm still just a person and that's what I'd like to be treated as
I can however speak to what it's like being autistic and what would have helped me growing up - and it's wasn't medicine
I had my share of meltdowns and they were pretty much exclusively caused by being forced to fit into a rigid school system where my "weirdness" was punished by both teachers and my classmates
What I needed was teachers who had been educated in supporting neurodivergent children, a safe space where I could have gone when I needed to decompress, an academic schedule that was geared towards my needs, and counselling to help me navigate a society that is designed by and for neurotypical people
That my brain is wired differently than it is in a neurotypical person is not a medical condition
What enrages me is when I'm treated as if I'm somehow broken and need fixing. I'm sick and tired of being discriminated against and I'm even more tired of people arguing that it's somehow a super power
My needs and preferences might be different from other people, but I'm still just a person and that's what I'd like to be treated as