Keep Calm and Advocate
Oftentimes, as parents of autistic or special needs children, we can run into others who might say some unbelievable things about the disorder. This is not the time to become angry or offended. Many times, people who say these things are simply uneducated about autism and need an explanation of how things work. So, in the interest of being helpful, I am sharing with you some of the most ridiculous things people have said to me about autism. "Your son doesn't look autistic." This was said to me by a friend of mine who had had no exposure to special needs people at all. In his mind, they all carried the same vacant, faraway expression and neutral face so that it can be seen with your own eyes that they are autistic. There is nothing further from the truth. While some children may carry that expression, it is not solely a look of autism. We all make that same face in our lives for different reasons. All of us are guilty of spacing out once in awhile and going off to our o...