A letter to… our friends who share autism success stories

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‘These stories don’t show the child who is non-verbal, who screams and growls for hours on end and attacks his or her parents on a daily basis’: the letter you always wanted to write

At least once a week, for the past five years, well-meaning friends have sent me a “success story” about a child or adult with autism. I also often read similar stories in the media. They are always inspiring, with their descriptions of how people don’t let autism define them or hold them back. With each story, I’ve grown sadder and angrier.

Seeing autism presented at all in the mainstream media is incredible, but it’s always the shiny side: a child is a musical genius or, after many years of setbacks, an adult has completed a law degree. While these are things to be celebrated, it makes it even harder for families like mine to be accepted in public. It makes the “Oh, he’s autistic” explanation sound like an excuse, because people haven’t seen the other side of the spectrum.

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from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2lK0krw

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