AUTISM: Judge not, loudmouth

Tuesday, March 24, I took my son to a local restaurant. Not a big thing to some, but my son is not like most. We miraculously made it through dinner and dessert without any major mishaps or issues. Then, before we left we went to the restroom, I didn’t see the separate handicap bathroom before my son went into the women’s room with me. We were washing our hands when a woman said something I did not hear over the air dryer. I was also watching my son very closely for any signs of distress or sensory overloading.

She repeated herself and informed me my son is too old to be in there with me. I told her my son is autistic and she still gave me a snarky smirk and said he is too big to be in there. Well, I am so very sorry you are too narrow-minded and uneducated about children with autism and sensory processing disorders to understand. I am sorry my son “looks normal” to people like you. But he is NOT. Loud noises, too much activity, too many people and such can and have caused outbursts.

This was the first time in more than a year I had taken my son out to eat by myself and until you with the closed mind and very large mouth ruined it for me, it had been a less exhausting endeavor than usual for me. People like you make the world an ugly place for my son.

BRENDA MORTON

Kootenai