Snappy Answers to Annoying Questions
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| Mon, 08-07-2006 - 12:20pm |
Snappy Answers to Annoying Questions
If you're a parent with a child on the spectrum, you've probably responded to the same annoying remarks and questions a thousand times. Here's a handy list of responses that...you'll probably never use out loud (but are fun to imagine using)!
1) He can’t be autistic -- he can talk! (or make eye contact, smile, engage)
And yet, amazingly, he���s still autistic! Y’see, autism is a spectrum disorder, and that means …
2) Oh, she must be SO good at math! (or science or music)
Actually, her great talent is in memorizing and reciting lines from Sponge Bob videos! (Or those annoying Thomas the Tank Engine songs!)
3) All he needs is more discipline, and he’ll get the message.
Yup, it’s true -- if you give a child enough time outs, he’ll just stop being autistic. And if I speak French to you loudly enough, you’ll become fluent!
4) You poor thing, it must be so upsetting to have a child with a disability.
Yes, it can be hard. And pity really helps me to get through the day and feel better about myself and my child. So…thanks so much!
5) Will he be able to go to college (or get married or hold down a job)?
Hm. Good question. By the way, has your daughter’s divorce been finalized yet? And I’m so sorry to hear that your son was recently laid off from his job…
6) I have a friend whose child was autistic, and she cured him!
Wow! So I guess she’s enjoying the millions she made after figuring out how to cure autism? I bet her second home is a yacht!
7) If she can’t behave properly, you shouldn’t BRING her to the grocery store!
Wow -- that would be great. Should I fax you my grocery list, or send it by email? I’ll really enjoy the delivery service!
8) We can’t include him in typical classes, it wouldn’t be fair to the other kids.
Hm, that’s an interesting perspective. So I guess you have a pretty big endowment to pay for all the law suits? That must be great!
9) We can’t accept her at our school because she doesn’t have a learning disability
Ohhhh… what a shame! Oh, wait, look, she’s suddenly developed dyslexia! Can she come to your school now?
10) You should make more time for yourself!
You’re so right! So will you be babysitting tonight or tomorrow night?
Source url: http://autism.about.com/od/inspirationideas/tp/snappy.htm?nl=1

Thanks for posting that...it brightened up a rather gloomy day.
Today I got a weird note from my brother - who I basically haven't heard from in about four months - telling me that he doesn't want to be in contact with me anymore. I guess he still doesn't like the way I am raising my ds or the way I am choosing to live my life. Has anyone else run into this? It hurts and then, at times, I want to laugh hysterically. I haven't asked him for help or had much contact with him at all - so I wonder where the heck this is coming from. I am assuming my family is talking about me behind my back again.... I've been told that the way I am running my life is 'hurting' my family because I won't take their advice on what to do.
Anyway, I do get the 'you just need to discipline him more' and also, 'we never got away with that kind of thing when we were kids!' comments quite often. Guess the bright side of all this is I won't have to hear that kind of remark from my brother anymore if he's decided he doesn't want to have anything to do with me. I wish things could be different, but I guess we all end up finding other sources of support - at least I hope that's the case!!!
Hehe...
Last night we were playing "meet the neighbor's houseguests" - Josh was NOT home, but my younger two were playing with the guest's son (who's about the same age as my youngest - almost 4).
2 weeks ago, ex-hubby's new MIL (yes - I have a twisted family) decided to give the 2 younger boys mohawks. The houseguest commented on the haircuts, something to the effect of "I would have been so devastated if someone had done that to (son)."
I looked her in the eye and came back with "With what I've been through with these 3, I've learned not to lose sleep over something like a haircut." Then went on to explain that my oldest has emotional delays and youngest had/has physical delays.