Abby Connolly
Many parents of children with autism can relate to their kids being singled out or uninvited from certain events because many people assume they’ll cause trouble.
One woman recently decided to go on vacation with her kids instead of her nieces’ family-friendly birthday party after her sister told her she’d have to book a babysitter for the night.
She is a single mother to five kids aged 19 to six. Two of her kids, ages eight and ten, were diagnosed with autism.
“They are great kids,” she explained. “I don’t just say that because they are mine. They are exceptional students, excel in their musical [and] sports hobbies, and are well-liked by everyone.”
“No one else in the family has an issue with them, and we recently attended a formal sit-down dinner and danced for my grandmother’s 80th birthday with zero issues.”
However, she does admit that when her two kids were younger, it could be harder to get them to settle down for important events, as they had a lot of high energy. She would refuse to “set them up for failure” and avoided events at nice restaurants or things set up in spaces that couldn’t handle a pair of energetic kids.
For instance, she missed her sister’s 40th birthday party six years ago, as she had recently separated from her husband and would’ve had to handle the kids all by herself, which she knew would be difficult. She believes her sister is still bitter about that to this day.
When she heard the details of her two nieces’ upcoming 18th birthday party, she got excited, as it sounded very family-friendly, and she figured her kids would fit in.
“They are [booking] a hall, cooking a BBQ dinner, and having a local band play, so it’s very family-friendly,” she said.
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