Respect
A mother’s story about autism

Do you know someone living with a disability? Sometimes people make fun of others who seem different. Susan’s 16-year-old son Nat has a common developmental disorder called autism. She describes what it’s like to watch people treat her son with disrespect.

Some autistic people can’t talk. Others speak easily. Some do odd things like rocking their bodies and flapping their hands. Others stay perfectly still. Some autistics have unpredictable temper tantrums. Others have less obvious problems like difficulty making friends.

Nat looks like a typical teenage boy with long, scruffy hair, beat-up sneakers, and baggy pants. But he has a hard time finding the right words to answer even simple questions.

Sometimes it seems like he doesn’t want to talk to me. But I think it’s hard for him to remember what to say. I think autistic people want friends, but they don’t understand how to be social or what to say.

My husband and I were at the beach with our children. Nat was facing the ocean and opening and closing his hand to a rhythm in his head. He was talking to himself.

Nearby was a group of teenage girls. One of them was watching Nat. At first she may have considered him an interesting prospect. But then she seemed to notice his odd behavior.

I kept watching, even though I knew what was coming next. The girls whispered to each other, then looked at Nat and giggled.

I worried that Nat knew the girls were laughing at him. He can’t communicate with words, so I don't know how much he picks up. Some autistic teens do know they are different. Nat may have noticed the girls laughing at him and felt hurt. I worried that he felt sad and couldn’t tell me.

I glared at the girls to make them stop and shouted to my husband, “Let’s go!”

If you meet someone who has autism, or another disability, please be kind and show respect.

If you laugh at someone with a disability, you may be causing him pain and confusion. But remember that you are also hurting those who love him.