Sometimes the symptoms of autism can be easy to miss, especially if the parent is in denial over the fact that their child could possibly have it.
Thankfully, nowadays the subject isn’t as taboo, many recognize that it isn’t some unfortunate disease that ruins families — something it has been presented as before. As more and more people start talking about it the more people learn about what autism is exactly and how to spot the signs in children early on. Noticing the signs early can benefit a young child greatly as quick intervention can have long-term positive effects, according to a blog from happiestbaby.com.
For one mother on TikTok, accepting that her daughter is autistic hasn’t been an issue in the slightest. However, in a recent video, she recalls how the daughter’s grandmother, and her mother-in-law, took the news. It turns out she wasn’t quite ready to accept the fact that her granddaughter has autism and was voicing her doubts over the diagnosis.
The facts about autism
If anything, the grandmother’s refusal to accept the truth comes across as ignorance more than anything else. She pointed out that the daughter is smart and therefore couldn’t possibly have autism. This suggests that she has a very outdated view of what it means to be autistic — for many who have it, they often struggle with social communication and often display repetitive behaviors and interests.
Some of the most intelligent people in history likely had it — according to Hiddentalentsaba.com, figures like Albert Einstein, Isaac Newton, and Nikolai Tesla were all believed to have autism. More modern, well-known individuals like Steve Jobs, Elon Musk, and even Tim Burton all display the symptoms as well.
The family bombshell
After listing a bunch of signs that definitely point towards the daughter having autism, the grandmother counters by saying, “that’s not autism, her dad was the exact same way as a kid.” In case you didn’t know, autism is hereditary, meaning it runs in families, so the daughter likely got it from one of her parents. But the girl’s mother clearly already knew this and decided to drop the bombshell that the dad also has autism.
The interaction includes some pretty hilarious examples like the father being smart enough to have a PhD in economics, but when asked to soften some butter for baking cookies he squeezed it with his bare hands. It seems obvious to everyone but the grandmother that the father has autism too, even though it was right under her nose the whole time. But her denial is too strong, as one comment put it best, “the call was coming from inside the house.”
Like I said, it can be easy to miss the signs of autism, but luckily this family is well aware of the symptoms, and rather than deny it, they’ve embraced it.