Refrigerator Mother???

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It is unfortunate that parents' behaviors get blamed for spectrum disorders, but it sounds like there are cold, neglectful parents out there just like in the NT world.

My wife and I could never be accused of being refrigerators. We treat our kids very well, give our son the highest quality treatment for his issues, and try very hard to give them a well-rounded upbringing.

Having siad that, we're very protective. You never want to be on the opposite end of our rath. We don't tolerate anyone including family making fun of or belittling our son who has Autism. A few strangers in public and even close friends of ours were on the receivling end of that and we made them wish they had never been born. This is where we draw the line with anyone and everybody. We don't expect everyone to understand our kid's Autism. But, you better respect him as a human being. If not, you're going to need life insurance if you're going to make fun of him because we will come down on you with a ton of bricks. Our local police department will verify that. The only exceptions we make are for kids because they are innocent and don't know better.

As a result of Autism, he does have a few savant qualities like memorizing everything. People think it's funny and sometimes want him to "perform" like he's a little show monkey. Big mistake! Just cause he's little and can quote facts and stats, doesn't mean he's there for your freak show enjoyment.

Anyway, I edited this post to say this: I feel the type of world we create for our kids when young has the biggest impact on their lives as they grow older. Raising a kid with a disability can be very difficult. Reports show over-and-over again that it's difficult on marriages. Difficult on finances. And, difficult on siblings. From the get go, my wife and I decided that come what may, we will walk this path with grace, love and dignity. We would give him support, but raise him like he didn't have a disability. That's what we do and I always hope he feels a sense of security, protection and love from within our family unit. If we can't give him that, who will?

The truth about autism, including Refrigerator Mothers