Monday, October 6, 2008

Business card idea

I've seen a lot of signs, bumper stickers, etc. for kids on the spectrum and some are cute and some are obnoxious. I want to get one for Ellie that says, "I don't do small talk," because I think that's age-appropriate and cute. There are some that are so in your face, that I wouldn't let her wear them. And I'm coming from a place where Ellie has both a CASH t-shirt and a Ramones t-shirt. So I'm pretty loose about some things, but not others.

I also think I may get a business card made up in case Ellie just loses it in public and somebody feels the need to say something, or get that "look," the one that says, you need to control that damn child. I was thinking of something like this:

Thanks so much for being interested enough in my child to watch her behavior so closely, or perhaps feel the need to remark to me about it. I know you probably think she's a willful, disobedient child--but nothing could be farther from the truth! She has an autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) and when her brain gets too much input, too much stimulation, she struggles with being able to process it all. And because her disorder includes a speech delay, she can't always put into words what she's experiencing, or what help I can be to alleviate her discomfort. Thanks so much for your concern, but I assure you, we've got it under control. If you have more questions about ASDs, feel free to check out www.autismspeaks.com.

Yes, I think that's a good idea.

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