“How bad is it?”
When someone I am just meeting finds out I have a son with autism I sometimes get this question.
Am I offended? Yes. And they shouldn’t phrase it this way, but here is what I believe folks are really asking: “Is he one of those people with autism like the guy in the show The Good Doctor?” They basically want to hear that he is pretty much normal, but has these really cool splinter skills. I have learned to say that my son has “Profound Autism.”
My boy is incredibly special, but he will not be swooping in on the day of your surgery to save you. He will not be counting cards in Las Vegas. But what he will do is melt your heart. Small connections with my boy will forever change you. They will make you appreciate the little things in life and encourage you to gain a new perspective about what is really important. So, although his autism is “bad” by some standards, he does have a superpower.
And it is awesome.