Your sibling has autism. How do you explain it to your friends?
I’ll never forget the day that my son John, who was 9 at the time, brought a friend from school over to work on a geography project. He was a little nervous, because this friend had not met Matthew.
What if Matthew said or did something embarrassing?
How would he explain autism?
Just as the boys were finishing a snack and starting the project, Matthew got home from school.
“Who are you?” he asked the boy in a close-talking kind of way, “What state were you born in and what airports have you been to?”
Close talker
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I don’t remember how John handled that one, but I do know that he is now an expert on the topic of explaining autism to his friends. Here is his latest iteration of a great explanation:
Did I mention that John is majoring in Psychology?
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How have you or your child discussed autism with their friends?