Life with an Autistic Son Quotes

“Not everything that steps out of line, and thus ‘abnormal’, must necessarily be ‘inferior’. Hans Asperger (1938).”
― B's Dad, Life with an Autistic Son

“What is it about autism that makes two rational, educated adults torture themselves in this way? Playing the blame game is not healthy and helps no one. Autism does that. It grabs you and, if you’re not careful, it drags you down with it. Despite all the progress made, I’ve felt its pull lately. But we must not let it get the better of us. I propose a new version of the blame game. In this version we ask, ‘Where did he get those beautiful eyes from? That smile? That gorgeous hair and stunning face? Who’s responsible for his amazing reading ability and astonishing memory? Where did those dancing skills come from? And the musical ability?’ Trouble is, my wife would win that version too! Nonetheless, these are the questions we should be asking because, ultimately, they are his defining features, not autism.”
― B's Dad, Life with an Autistic Son

“I have two settings as a dad: normal and special mode. Normal mode is used with my eldest son, aged eight. It involves all the regular dad stuff, such as knowing the answers to every possible question, teaching him to ride his bike and generally being hands-on and involved. Special mode is quite different. All of the skills of normal mode apply, and then some. Special mode involves enormous powers of endurance, negotiation, problem solving, vigilance, strength, forbearance, deciphering, arbitration and above all, patience. To be honest, I’m a bit rubbish at all of those things but I strive for them nonetheless, because special mode is required for my youngest son, aged five and diagnosed as high functioning autistic. The two styles of parenting could not be more different.”
― B's Dad, Life with an Autistic Son

“There’s a lot of ignorance surrounding autism, even in our schools.”
― B's Dad, Life with an Autistic Son

“Children and adults on the spectrum often struggle not with imagination, but with social imagination. This is an important difference. Social imagination is a person’s ability to predict what others are thinking and feeling, to imagine and predict what might happen next, to understand the consequences of what is said and done in a social situation.”
― B's Dad, Life with an Autistic Son

“The day my son was diagnosed as “high functioning autistic” was the day I was able to accept who he was, to stop fighting who he was, and to start learning, helping and building a future for him.”
― B's Dad, Life with an Autistic Son