Rather than avoid the topic, like I did
when the word ‘sex’ appeared on Family
Feud (“it means gender, buddy”), I tried
to give him a description that would make
sense to him. He’s earned it.
I sat down on the couch with him, and we
talked like two old souls playing chess in
Central Park. He looked at me seriously,
as only he can, and put his arm on my
shoulder, his bear firmly tucked under the
other arm.
I sat down on the
couch with him, and
we talked like two old
souls playing chess in
Central P
ark.
Papa Bear: “Autism is different for everyone, buddy. Some have trouble with their
bodies, some have trouble focusing, and
some have trouble with their words...”
HB: “Like, my sister!”
PB: “That’s right. You know how she sees
things differently than you do? (He nods.)
Well, there are a lot of other people who
look at the world the same way she does.
You look at this rug as something to keep
the floor from being scratched, but she
sees all of the patterns, designs and colors
that make up the rug. They leap out of the
rug like a 3-D movie.”
HB: “That’s really cool...”
PB: “Yeah, it is, huh? Sometimes, it’s so
cool that she just wants to look at those
things rather than the other people in the
room.”
HB: “I would, too!”
PB: “Yup, it would be pretty awesome.
But, it also makes it hard for her to focus
when she needs to talk to us or work with
her teachers.”
Zoom Autism Through Many Lenses
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