Often my son and I talk when we are in the car . He always chooses the music , we have a vast collection of CDs in the car. I think that perhaps because we are not facing each other it makes it easier for him to talk . He is better able to talk about the things that make him tick , the things that he feels most deeply about , naturally over time he has become a fan of 80s music .
Now he tells me that he is happy to be autistic , he told me if he had a choice of being born with or with out autism , he would change nothing . To hear him say this fills me with great pride for his strength of character . He is obviously a great thinker and has been pondering his autistic status for some time now , he has recognised that the core of his being and personality are directly related to the fact he was born with autism .
He is an avid researcher and finds the internet a god send for some one like him , I don't know but I suspect he has been reading about Temple Grandin who is a great spokesperson for autistic people , as she is herself . In her own life she has had to overcome many difficulties .
At age 15 to say that he is happy with himself is a true achievement , given all the other obstacles to navigate in teenage . My hope is that he will start to recognise the advantages of autism , how it hones his clarity of thought , how it helps him to focus , how it helps when there are choices to be made and how much easier it seems for him , to find what he wants or needs .
Unlike so many of his peers , he does not run with the crowd . he does his own thing . It would appear that he does not have to contend with the clumsy feelings of inadequacy which so often visit his teenage schoolmates . It would seem that after watching the experiences of other teenagers , he feels at an advantage . Not that autism desensitises , far from it , but it does allow for a clearer view on the world . He is probably the least confused teenager I have met .
I am aware though that it is still early days and the future is full of new challenges , not least if romance should ever come his way . For the moment though I will savour this time a true achievement .
