Autism Autism (What Be This Ism?)
Being neurodiverse I can relate….
1st Person: Wait. You’re autistic?
Me: No. Dyslexic.
1st Person: Hardly autism is it mate?
Me: Mmm, slighty neurodiversist.
So…. Great… Dyslexia. Bad short-term memory. It’s gone.
Anyway….
So, what is autism?
“Autism is not an illness. Being autistic does not mean you have an illness or disease. It means your brain works in a different way from other people.” — nhs.uk
Being diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder doesn’t have to be a barrier to doing stuff you want to do, as this comedian shows.
Tenuous link over, now a scenario: A parent of a child diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder is off to their local charity shop with their child in tow.
Question: What might the parent say, whilst caring for their child?
The Answers:
(A). To the shop assistant, before letting their child enter the shop, “You need to turn this music off. They’ve got a thing about loud music and it messes with their head.”
(B). To their child, before both entering the shop, “You need to put your ear defenders on. The loud music in the shop will mess with your head.”
(C). To the shop assistant, before letting their child enter the shop, “You need to dim these lights if you can. They’ve got a thing about bright lights and they mess with their head.”
(D). To their child, before both entering the shop, “You need to put your special sunglasses on. The bright lights in the shop will mess with your head.”
(E). To the shop assistant, after they’ve both spent some time in the shop, “No need to thank us. They’ve got a thing about stock-taking and making sure things are in order. Your massive selection of DVDs was in a mess. You’re welcome.”
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Special thanks to my girlfriend Hen.
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