Last weekend went to have a look around a showroom for sofas and armchairs, as our current sofa is well and truly worn out. Penguin sits down very heavily on it, and that has taken its toll.
As we were looking around the shop, trying a few different sofas out for comfort, a sales person came up to us and asked how we were getting on. She looked at Penguin and smiled, and said hello to him. He barely acknowledged her presence. She asked us about what we were looking for, and after chatting to us for a bit, she again said “hiya” to Penguin, and then said “I have an autistic son too”.
It felt good to me that she recognised it, and that she clearly was familiar with autism, and hence understanding rather than suspicious or uncomfortable about our boy’s differences in behaviour etc. But it made me think, afterwards, about how it’s often said that you can’t tell if a person is autistic just by looking at them, and that ‘there is no look to autism’. Well… it seems like our young man has ‘the look’.
Maybe ‘invisible’ disabilities are sometimes quite visible? And perhaps that can make it easier sometimes, too…?
Thoughts and comments are – as always – welcome below. Thank you for reading x
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Sensational Learning with Penguin 
Oh, Malin, I was nodding in agreeance as I read through this.
We had just the same happen yesterday when taking my youngest for his jab. It’s the first time in a while that the nurses just got him!
Too many times we’ve encountered people’s ignorance of our boy’s differences.
I think more awareness and training should be put into place for everyone that has dealings with autistic people and even make it part of the national curriculum.
As for autistic people having “the look”. I think it is more that as the saleswoman said she has an autistic son, and with experience, it is easier to recognise people that are on the spectrum.
Also, I can’t believe how much Penguin has grown! Our babies are growing up way too fast. xx
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Aww, thanks so much Jayne! ❤️ They sure are growing up quickly, aren’t they?
I’m happy to hear you can relate, and that the nurses were understaning of your boy this time! It makes all the difference when people are accepting and aware of their needs etc. I totally agree with you, and about the saleswoman too, I think it is as you say, that having personal experience and knowledge makes it much easier to recognise xx
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