was taught how to “act normal.” I learned to hold the door for people. I learned to tell the truth, but to understand when it was okay to lie for politeness. I learned to use my manners, not to swear, to respect personal space, and to stop talking when it was time for somebody else to have a turn. And then I got to school. And I discovered that no one else had learned these things. It was clear to me that the other parents—the ones with “normal” kids—hadn’t taught their offspring basic etiquette, figuring they’d just pick it up on their own. If their kid didn’t have a diagnosis, they obviously
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