Some people really do get it! Most do not!

Not many people talk to Jax, acknowledge that he's there, or try to engage him. If I do talk to someone about Jax, they talk over his head, never to him. Obviously we get a lot of stares. Sometimes we get such blatantly rude stares that I want to punch the people in the face! We also get a lot of snide comments when people see two young adults pull into a handicap spot. In all honesty we deal with a lot of crap. We would probably deal with less if we walked around buck naked!

I think sometimes people are afraid to talk to Jax. Their afraid to get too close, afraid they will offend us in some way, or they just don't know what to do. The only people that really talk to Jax are people that know him.
Here's the thing, if you talk to Jax, more than likely he's not going to smile back. He's not going to look at you, and he's definitely not going to talk to you. You have to get right in Jax face, his hearing and vision are poor. Trust me, he does smile, he even laughs, you just have to know how to do it!

Friday I was having a bad day. The boys were super sluggish getting ready for school. Mondo made Carter and Tanner miss their bus, so I had to drive them all. Then the Medicaid office called and said I filled out the paperwork wrong, even though I did it how they asked. I really need to know if he's going to get on the waiver, because it will determine how I choose our benefits for next year. We currently have a PPO, so it has high deductibles and out of pocket. That was extremely hard to pay for this past year. I need to know if the waiver is going to cover what his regular insurance doesn't, otherwise I'm going for the HMO with lower out of pockets. But enrollment is happening now, and I only have a couple weeks to re-enroll. Now I have to fill some paperwork out all over again before even seeing if he'll get on!
Needless to say I was a bit cranky when daddy, Jax and I pulled into a fast food restaurant. There was an older couple standing outside, staring us down as we pulled into the handicap spot and proceeded to get Jax out. When I'm already having a bad day it can be hard for me to keep my mouth shut, so we quickly walked past the couple and into the restaurant.
While we were eating our food a lady in the booth next to us got up to leave. I saw her looking at Jax, and thought, here we go again! But as she walked past us she stopped. She asked me if she could talk to Jax. I said of course she could. She bent over and proceeded to talk to him. Then she asked if she could touch him. I said yes, so she grabbed his hands and kept talking to him. At first he didn't even look her direction, but after she got closer and grabbed his hands, he gave her a smile!
Honestly, I think this is the first time EVER that someone has done that. For once it wasn't staring and gawking. It wasn't, "why does he have that?" It was just a person talking to a child, not the tubes or the disability. It was amazing, and it made my day.
Let me tell you, if you see an obviously severely disabled child, don't be afraid of them. Talk to them, its not only good for the child, but for the parents who usually only get negativity!!
Trust me, there is nothing negative about my little boy!! And I promise you, an encounter with him will change your life!