Autism Acceptance in the Public Square...Next Case, Please

Courtney Barnum, over at Kelly's Thoughts On Things, published an article which touched on the problem of our autistic kids not getting invited to parties, and I wanted to re-post it here.

Getting left out of parties is one of those social issues for my autistic son that I put so far out of my mind, I didn't even think about it when I posted my first thoughts on acceptance in the public square (previous posts).

It's another vector of rejection. It is common to invite everyone in the class to a birthday party (required at our school if you plan on handing out invitations there), but it is has also become increasingly common to invite everyone BUT the disabled kid (pick a disability, but autism wins).   She makes some good points, especially about family and close friends assuming you won't come instead of asking:

"It’s hard when your kid isn’t included. We know how amazing our children are. Sadly, others can’t see that. Judgment clouds their minds. They assume our children are bad or a problem or a handful.

Get to know them. I promise you won’t be disappointed.

You will see life from a perspective you never expected. You may even learn a few things. Like tolerance, acceptance and perseverance.

Our kids deserve that and more." 

Full article here:  Don't Forget Us, We Matter!

Give it, and the other good Autism articles over there a read.  My conclusion after reading for a little while:  Apparently, I'm not actually barking mad.  The problems of inclusion and acceptance in the public square are real, and present, and NEED to be addressed better.

Perhaps my experiences locally with my autistic son are not that unusual, after all.

I believe people CAN learn, and they can adapt, they can include, and they can accept, even someone on the autism spectrum who they do not at first understand or relate to well.  They just have to make the decision they want to learn, adapt, include and accept, and then get past their own sometimes weak spirited and/or prejudiced beliefs and reactions.  Yes, it is easier to associate with people who are "like us," but...um....not to put too fine a point on it, but that has, as a general principle on a societal level, never worked out very well.

So, go read, and look around over there.  They say a lot of what I'm trying to get at in my own thoughts here in the backwater of the net that is my momblog of doom.  :D

Toodles