What Box?...

I can't tell you how many times I've heard people tell me that last one.  Yes, he looks "normal," whatever that is.  I suppose if he were in a wheelchair due to his autism, people wouldn't say that.  The mere fact is that autism is not always glaringly apparent; sometimes only those who are close to him see it.  Others can't put their finger on what's "wrong" and chalk it up to being a boy.  Nothing pisses me off more than people saying any one of the five above, but the last one always makes me cringe.

Autism does not always slap you in the face when you meet it.  He's not a flapper or a finger flicker or a spinner or a rocker.  He's not a Rain Man and he's not nonverbal.  People are not always aware that autism is a spectrum and no two children have it the same way; there is no typical stereotype.  He is not cognitively delayed or learning disabled; he is socially awkward because of his quirky mannerisms.  So, what makes Jack different?  Often,  it's the insistence on sameness, the OCD of rituals, the need for schedules, or the quirks.  Sometimes you don't notice at all.  Nevertheless, he is still a boy, he is still capable of loving you, he has the ability to carry on a conversation with you, and he is ABOVE ALL a BOY before he is autistic.  High-functioning or not, he is a lovable boy and NOT a label first.  And his journey navigating through a world that constantly assaults his five senses is much more difficult than your journey will ever be.  Jack does not simply think outside the box; to him, the box doesn't even exist and the possibilities are endless.  We should all be that lucky.

Autism is not a cancer, nor is it a death sentence; it is simply a different way of life.  And just because you can't see it like you can a physical disability, that doesn't mean it doesn't exist.  "He looks so normal to me..."  If I had a quarter for every time I heard that one...

  I wish more people understood this.