Meet up with parents of kids with mild autism

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does ANYONE who has a kid with "mild" Autism or "HFA" really feel like their kids are "mild" or "high functioning?" Why do we keep perpetuating these labels? They are so invalidating. As a parent, I feel like it's our problem and we have to stop perpetuating ableism. It is so much easier to say my kid is "mild," or "high functioning" or "on the spectrum" than to say they are Autistic, as if that is a dirty word. I was guilty of it myself, but now that I know better I do better.

This is why we can't have meetups.

That’s not true. I’m the PP and I have meet ups and friends whose kids are Autisic. I don’t judge anyones choice of words - I try to educate from my kids point of view and adult autistic people I know in an open minded way but the language you use is up to you.

It was a sarcastic/flippant joke. But I'm happy to use whatever term. But a meetupnwith a parent who's child isn't toilet trained and is nonverbal wouldn't be a place I could offer any experience or insight whereas a meet-up with a parent who's bright child can't connect to the coursework at school or who is starting to be excluded from social groups they were once part of, might have some words of experience for me.

So what term would you like to use to help sort that out?

NP here - this is what I would like support group for. Whatever the label, this is what ends up making my teen very depressed even while on high doses of anti-depressants. It's enough to send me in that direction.