Mom Leigh Merryday Porch believes that these viral stories can sometimes be detrimental to those living with autism.
Inspirational videos of people with autism can be found all over social media.
But mom Leigh Merryday Porch believes that these viral stories can sometimes be detrimental to those living with autism.
Porch, who's the mother of a 10-year-old with autism, wants other parents to know there's not a formula to parenting a child with the condition.
“Sometimes they're sensationalized, and people will want to walk away from it with a moral that if you do what this parent did then it's going to be a formula,” she told InsideEdition.com.
Porch's son Callum is significantly verbally and intellectually delayed.
“His developmental age is much like a toddler," she said. "He is only just the barest limited verbal single words. But he is a beautiful, wonderful little person.”
Porch runs a Facebook page called "Flappiness Is" in which she documents Callum’s progress. It also allows for people in the community to share advice on parenting children with autism.
“Autistic people who follow as well who will say, ‘Hey, that's exactly what I did,’ or you know, ‘Hey I've got a perspective that you may not have considered as to why he's doing this or why he doesn't like this sound,’” said Porch. “They will give me some guidance and I love that.”
Porch has some advice of her own for new parents with children that have been recently diagnosed with autism.
“You have to celebrate that child and their accomplishments and reach a point of acceptance while continuing to encourage them to be the most they're capable of being,” she said.
Porch added that she suggests parents immediately seek out experts to teach your child to communicate and also teach you to communicate with them.
She also has hope for the future that Callum will continue to develop his communication skills.
“We want to teach him the most amount of independent living skills so that he can live in an environment in the future that has the least amount of supports necessary because that's going to give him the greatest joy in life, to be as free as he is capable of being as an adult,” said Porch.
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