About one in 160 children has Autism Spectrum Disorders, World Health Organization states. Autism that was once believed to be the outcome of improper parenting is proved to be a genetic disorder by various researchers.

Also read: 6 facts you need to know about Autism

While dealing with autism is exceptionally difficult for a child and hinders his physical and mental growth to a great extent but it takes it tolls on the parents on the autism spectrum too. Some of the biggest challenges for the family is how the society reacts and behaves with their child. On the occasion of Pride Autism Day, learn about things that parents of an autistic child want you to know.

A kid doesn’t have to look autistic to be one

As one parent rightly pointed out on the popular Autism Speaks blog, “Please don’t tell me my son doesn’t have autism because he looks different from the other kid you know on the Spectrum.” Autism is actually a wide scope of complex disorders in brain development and thus affects every child differently. Those suffering from don’t have to look like that to make the society believe about their disorder.

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Dirty looks and comments don’t help

The brain of an autistic child behaves differently and certain things in our surroundings can trigger and make him anxious. Crowd, blinking light, noise or any individual that they aren’t comfortable with can lead to complete meltdown. At the time giving unusual stares and comments doesn’t help parents or the child rather it makes them more anxious.

An autistic child has feelings too, just like everyone else

Just because an autistic child expresses his feelings in a different manner than a neurotypical child does not mean he does not have any feelings. While it is unreasonable for everyone to understand a person with autism, the least we can do is to be sensitive and sympatric about it. Many believe that an autistic person because of his hindered mental growth does not feel like others who do not suffer from autism. It’s high time we do away this mentality.

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Kids in the Autism Spectrum aren’t dumb

Kids with autism have exceptional brilliance and they most certainly are not dumb. Albert Einstein, Sir Isaac Newton, Michelangelo, Mozart all suffered with some or the other form of autism. Thinking that kids with autism do not have the mental stability and potential to do something is one of our biggest failure as a society and many a times results in such kids not getting admissions in schools and educational institutes.