How do you measure your success as a parent? Do you measure other parents’ abilities by the same methods? Because...we all frequently assess the behavior of children, both our own and others’ and mentally correct what the other parents are doing wrong. Right? Now let me tell you about the most common developmental disability in children. So common that I would bet all of you know a family involved with this devastating disability. And yet, you have no real and certain idea of what it is. It is called Autism. With the most casual interaction with an autistic child, you may only see a badly behaved child. A child that you may think would behave much differently if he lived under your roof, and with your parenting skills. A more interactive visit with an autistic child would reveal more, yet you may again think, you could surely instill better behavior in this child.

There are two ways to look at autism. An outsider’s viewpoint may see a child that as a toddler and preschooler is out of control. He is unable to listen, behave, be still, participate and generally act appropriately as you might expect a preschooler to act. An "insider" understands that this child has to manage an incredible range of sensory overload as well as an indiscernible puzzle of social interaction and language. The reality for this child is they are very aware of what bothers them, as well as what makes them happy. These are their only two points of view. It is that simple. They will act without inhibition on either emotion. They have no idea, nor do they care what bothers anyone else, or what makes anyone else happy. Someone else is such a social puzzle to them, that it doesn’t even occur to them to wonder.