@sensurvivalist: 1. Force him to eat food his body or senses can’t tolerate. He’s not being fussy. If something feels revolting to him, making dinner a battleground won’t magically fix it. 2. Stop him stimming because it makes other people uncomfortable. If he’s happy, safe and regulating himself, flap away, mate. Other people’s discomfort isn’t his problem. 3. Force eye contact to make him look like he’s listening. Listening doesn’t have to look a particular way. Communication isn’t one-size-fits-all. 4. Make him hug, kiss or touch people because it’s “polite”. His body belongs to him. He gets to have boundaries, even with people he loves. 5. Punish him for having a meltdown. A meltdown isn’t bad behaviour or a tantrum that needs “nipping in the bud”. If he’s overwhelmed, he needs help regulating, not punishment. 6. Make him hide who he is just to make life easier for everyone else. I’m here to help him navigate the world, not spend his childhood teaching him that there’s something wrong with being himself. My job isn’t to raise an autistic child who can pass as neurotypical. It’s to raise an autistic child who feels safe, understood and bloody proud of who he is.

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