When I tell people that Jonah is autistic, I hear a variety of responses, but the most common one is , “He doesn’t LOOK autistic.”
And they probably mean it as a compliment but this is what I take away from it…
Jonah could act out really, at any time.
And if Jonah started having problems and acted out or had a meltdown, if he “looked autistic,” people would tend to be more accommodating.
But if he was acting out or had a meltdown and didn’t “look autistic,” now he’s just a little brat whose parents need to discipline him.
Autism doesn’t have any specific “look.” It is a whole spectrum.
If you fully want to engage us about it, ask us about “our autism” and how Jojo is affected and how our family is affected…
I’d be happy to tell you about it, if you actually care to know.