What to Know
As far as mom influencers go, Laura Clery is not one whose content is solely focused on being a parent and raising kids. However, she also shares details about her private life between posting funny videos on Instagram and TikTok and creating new characters that inexplicably go viral. And her long Facebook post about her son, who is autistic, might not have gotten the exact response Laura had hoped for.
In her post, Laura described an incident with her son while driving him to school. Her son, who is seven years old, was diagnosed with autism at a young age and, although Laura has shared a bit about it from time to time, other users on social media don’t all agree that her platform is the best place to share details of incidents like the one she posted about on Facebook.
Laura Clery posted about her son’s autism and behavior.
Laura’s long Facebook post detailed how the morning started off fine for her and her kids. It wasn’t until they were in the car and close to school that her son “got stuck in a mental loop and started screaming.” Laura wrote that she tried to calm him down, keep her daughter calm, and remain calm herself.
“By the time we got to school he was completely dysregulated,” Laura wrote. “He started scratching me, biting me, kicking me. He was kicking and scratching his aide, too. Hard.
I have bite marks on my arms, scratches on my neck and face. And I’m sitting here wondering what the hell just happened. The hardest part is not knowing why. Was it something I said? Something he was thinking? Is he getting sick? Because every single time this boy gets sick, it’s like we lose so much progress overnight. And sometimes, in the middle of all this, he’ll scream, ‘Hug Mommy!’ So go to hug him. And he bites me. Hard. And my heart just breaks because I know he’s not trying to hurt me. I know something is happening inside his little body and brain that he can’t communicate or control in that moment.”
She was called out for sharing personal information about him.
Mom Influencers and their special needs children.
by u/RuralBohemian in InfluencerLounge
Laura also shared a selfie in the post to show the marks her son left on her during the incident in the car. She wrote in the post that her son also lashed out at his aide during the drop-off at school. But some Reddit users didn’t like the details Laura added, calling her out for oversharing about a moment her son might grow up and see online someday.
“I have a child with profound autism and sometimes days are like this. I would never. Ever. Ever. Post this shit publicly for my daughter to potentially one day see,” one parent shared in the comments. “Laura is selfish.”
Another parent agreed, “My son has autism and medical issues, and I stopped sharing anything because it’s his story and privacy. Not to mention he is more than his struggles. My friend has a kid who has ADHD and literally had made that her whole personality and shares very personal stuff about him online.”
While some parents admitted they do appreciate other parents sharing stories that are actually similar to their own, it’s the nature of Laura’s candidness, and her sharing her son’s name, that adds to the ick factor for them.
“As an autistic woman who’s had her fair share of meltdowns and crying-screaming episodes, these mommy influencers have a real martyr complex,” another Redditor added to the mix. “They post these anecdotes for praise and validation, so everyone can pat them on the back about what a wonderful strong courageous mama they are for letting their kid attack an education worker. It’s disgusting and incredibly vapid.”
Laura Clery opened up about her son on social media before.
In a much older Facebook post, Laura shared a video where she reveals that users actually suggested that her son might be autistic from watching videos that Laura posted when he was a toddler. Then, she explains, she recognized potential signs that other children on the autism spectrum have shown. This led Laura to get an official diagnosis for their son.
“We eventually took him to the pediatrician when he was around two,” Laura says. At that point, the pediatrician suggested speech delay and nothing more. Shortly after he turned two, he was officially diagnosed. And sharing that part of the family’s journey is certainly one thing. But for critics, Laura opening up about more detailed stories might not be best for her son down the line as he gets older.
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