Published on 12, July, 2020
I'm a 60ish father of a 5-year-old boy on the spectrum. He's a happy chap most of the time, living in his own world. He's starting to use some words, but mostly it's still repetition (currently of things said on Something Special, Chuggington or Tree-Fu Tom!). Eye contact is fleeting and obviously not comfortable for him, but he's quite sociable otherwise – and he loves hugs and tickles. He's a pretty easy boy to parent, in fact, with few issues around routines or tantrum-inducing dislikes, and quite independent. But he's clearly not going to have an easy path through life, and it's hard to see him struggle with things that kids half his age have mastered long ago. At my age, an uphill struggle seems even steeper than it would have 10 or 20 years ago.
Thanks for your encouragement, Electra. I'm sure he will enjoy some aspects of being on the spectrum that I cannot imagine. From what I've read, it's no more likely he will grasp complex scientific theories than any NT person. But he may have some unusual skills, we'll just have to wait and see. I just hope he finds reasons to interact with the world outside his head and enjoy it.