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For the longest time I did not see other stares. I think this is do to my nld but my sisters and parents notice staring and if it caused on my offense, such as an outburst which I still have on occasion, they are quick to tell me. last week;however, I noticed staring two times. It started when an autistic man was acting out at my special Olympics track practice. There were a group of kids just gawking at him and I told the girls that it is not polite to stare i do not think they understood me (no ST for me yet) but the coaches of the soccer team focused them back up again and i had to get back to practice.
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7 comments:
That's a tough one...it's different when it's kids staring than when it's adults. Sometimes when I notice kids staring at my daughter, I will just smile at them. It lets them know I've seen them and it's okay for them to be curious. You can also practice some lines so you're ready with them when you see someone staring - I always think of the best things to say afterwards, but if I practice, I'm ready for it.
I like how Ellen, the author of "Love That Max" responds...have you seen one of her posts that addresses situations like this?
I have CP,and my mom says I first asked her why people stare at me when I was two. When adults do it I catch their eye and smile. If kids do it I usually ask if they're curious about my walker...The explanation varies depending on there age and what they say
Do what you have to do to make a stand for yourself. I agree though that a look and great big ol' smile breaks any stare from a stranger. That always works when someone is looking at my daughter.
I had this happen to me last week too! And I told the person that I work here and I have a job and if she could please stop staring at me. She didn't lislten but the whole point is that I told her. I have a disability too; I have CP Too.
My seven year old daughter has CP. She's very verbal and it's a mild case. She hasn't noticed the staring yet but I have. I'm always really friendly to children who stare at her and I answer any questions they have. I'm a little less tolerant of adults who do so as they should KNOW better. I tend to change my position and stand in between her and the person who is staring. I'm not looking forward to her realizing why they stare. She doesn't think of herself as disabled and neither do I!
I am very open about having Asperger's Syndrome and enjoy having the chance to educate others. However if someone is being abusive rather than curious, it is time to remove myself from the situation rather than be an educator. A few years ago, I had a group of children in a local park ask me to play with them. I played with them, thinking I was being nice, but realized they were modifying the game for me due to the fact I was having trouble climbing the structures and keeping up with them. I also have coordination difficulties. They started asking me questions and I answered them honestly. I also took the time to explain how learning disabilities and coordination problems are different from global cognitive disabilities (not that I would insult anyone with below average intelligence because some of my friends have intellectual disabilities, but their learning needs are different than what mine would be). One of them even confided in me that she was sometimes bullied for her Muslim clothing. It was an oppertunity to educate and to learn from them.
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