- April 25, 2024
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Dear Editor:
To the woman who felt the need to scold my fiancé about how my 9-year-old son on the autism spectrum was “disturbing” her at church and anyone who thinks this type of behavior is acceptable: It’s not.
No one should confront a stranger and tell him how to parent a child without knowing the whole story. Second, any concern should be between adults only.
Third, my son wasn’t talking or making noise; he was stimming (self-stimulation). Don’t you also stim? Do you tap your foot? Do you strum your fingers on the table? Do you twirl your hair? These are all more “acceptable” examples of stimming. My son prefers to crack his knuckles, hug tightly, and move up and down or rock back and forth. This helps him to focus, especially in an environment with a lot of sensory stimuli like a packed church.
If you are bothered by such small, innocuous movements, then perhaps you should move yourself to the front instead of telling us to move to the back. My son enjoys sitting closer to the front so he can see and understand what is going on. Believe it or not, he is near the top of his class, not that it should even matter.
Perhaps you should remember what Jesus said: “Let the children alone, and do not hinder them from coming to Me; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these” (Matthew 19:14).
April was Autism Awareness Month, I hope to increase awareness in a community that obviously needs it. We are all unique. And that’s a good thing.
With the Centers for Disease Control saying 1 in 68 (1 in 42 boys) children are now being diagnosed with autism, you will see more and more of these individuals at your churches, your grocery stores, and your neighborhood. When you encounter someone different, perhaps you should show a little love and compassion instead of judgment that could emotionally scar a child for the rest of his/her life. Our lives are difficult enough.
Jennifer Kuiper
Ormond Beach
