Myka Stauffer, a Mommy of four from Ohio, and a popular YouTuber posting videos on homeschooling, family life, organization strategies, fitness, cleaning, and lifestyle has recently released a bombshell of news.
In a YouTube video, she recently posted, she and her husband Jim explained their hard decision to give up their four-year-old son, Huxley, who they adopted from China. Their choice to do so drew a lot of criticisms and backlash from people accusing them of "rehoming" their son.
Stauffer, who has more than 700,000 subscribers on YouTube, has shared her almost three-year journey in the process of adopting her son, Huxley from China. Later on, she posted a video on learning that their son had autism spectrum disorder and their experience in trying out ABA therapy.
However, in recent months, social media users noticed she posted less about Huxley. In her last Instagram post about her son in February, she shared how the family had a couple of "hard" days. She added how she wished trauma from autism and adoption had a "manual" to serve as a guide through the complicated process.
Where is Huxley?
Followers were starting to speculate about Huxley until she released a video post on YouTube about an update on their family. In the video, she shared how the family's last few months were one of the hardest things they could have ever imagined.
Furthermore, she mentioned how medical professionals felt that their son "needed more" when it came to his medical needs. Her husband Jim also said that during the initial international adoption process, there were certain "unknowns" and matters not transparent on files.
The couple explained that they wanted to protect their son's privacy, which is why they didn't mention anything about their struggles and didn't delve into more in-depth details about his condition.
They added that they held back on releasing a video earlier because they wanted to give Huxley time to adjust to his new family, which they described as the "best fit." Stauffer said Huxley was doing well and that his new mommy is a trained medical professional, which makes her a good fit.
The couple's decision to give their son away angered many people on social media. One Twitter user angrily tweeted how the boy was treated like a pet, and not an actual human child, which they easily gave away.
Another user expressed sympathy for the toddler as he was "dragged" all the way from China, having him start all over again and then, in the end, having his "family" give up on him.
A Change.org petition has been set up asking the family to remove all monetized content featuring Huxley. So far, the petition has reached more than 13,000 signatures. The family's spokesperson declined to comment on the record.
What is Autistic Spectrum Disorder?
According to the American Psychiatric Association, autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is an intricate developmental condition that involves continual challenges in social interaction, speech, nonverbal communication, and restricted or repetitive behaviors. The severity of symptoms of ASD is different in each individual.
According to the CDC, one in 54 children is predicted to have autism. Autism spectrum disorder is also three to four times more apparent in boys than in girls. Furthermore, many girls with ASD display less visible signs compared to boys.
Autism is a lifelong predicament. Nonetheless, many children diagnosed with ASD go on to live independent, fulfilling, and productive lives.
What are the Impacts of Having an Autistic Child?
Having an autistic individual in the household can affect the whole family, according to the findings of a study. In a paper published in the medical journal Autism-Open Access, the researchers have found that that the entire family members are affected by the condition of children with autism.
The research gathered information on children with ASD from 1990 to February 2017.
The study mentioned that a systematic review of 10 other studies indicated that ASD could strongly influence family dynamics, resulting in caregiver overload, particularly in mothers.
Chloe Paltrow, a psychiatrist at Oxyhealth, says that impacts related to having an autistic family member could affect emotional, marital, sibling, and financial aspects in a family.
