Recently my daughter was invited to a birthday party where it felt comfortable to bring my son, too, even though he was older than all the other kids. Sometimes he plays best with younger kids, but on this day he found himself most interested in a mom. He stuck to her like glue. I began to notice that she might have enough on her hands with her own two kids, and I tried to get him to play with me instead, but it was a tough sell. He continued to interrupt her quite a bit and I was running out of ideas and feeling awkward, so I blurted out to the mom, "I can get him to take a walk with me, I am sorry you haven't been able to finish your other conversation."
She used exactly the perfect inflection and mannerism when she said, "Hey, look. You never have to apologize for your son. Don't worry about it." It was exactly right and just what I needed.
You know why she is such an awesome person? Well, probably because she was born that way, to some degree, but also, I think, because she already knew someone with autism. She knows someone, and so she gets it. Knowing wonderful families with kids on the spectrum opens people up, opens their hearts, and it reminds me that my family needs to stop hiding as much as we do. When I am "out there" with our family, our experiences, our truths, I make it easier for other people with autism.
That's all.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
You're so right. Sometimes I need to be reminded of this - that while it seems easier to hide (even in public), I'm not doing anyone any favors by doing so.
Glad you found someone who gets it. :)
Post a Comment