McDonalds

After school yesterday, the boys and I met the behaviorist at McDonalds for lunch. She wanted to see how Ethan and Dylan do in public - we have had problems with elopement which is pretty scary. When Dylan was finished eating, Beth took him to the play area. Ethan was still eating and playing with his happy meal toys, so I stayed at the table with him. We weren't really close to the play area, but every now and then I could see Dylan in his bright red tank top and Beth right behind him. Some boys about Ethan and Dylan's age, were sitting between us and the play area going back and forth between playing and eating with their mothers. I overheard one of the boys say, "that boy in the red tank top is really mean" and pointed to Dylan! The mom quickly hushed him and I couldn't hear anything else he had to say. I was devastated! Dylan - mean??? You've got to be kidding! I know his social skills are poor and he is not good at playing with other kids - that's part of autism and we're working on it. I also know that children and adults alike often misinterpret this as being rude or "mean". But hearing the boy say that just broke my heart. How misunderstood kids (and adults for that matter) with ASD are. It gives you a better understanding of why parents in years past had kept kids with disabilities at home all the time. They weren't embarrassed or trying to punish their kids. They were trying to keep them safe from all the ridicule and persecution from people who don't understand or just don't care.
There is a saying that goes something like "to be a mother is to forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body"... so true

til later....