This is a story I remember being told when I was much younger, but I think it’s important to share. I’ll start with setting the scene. So Leon finds it extremely interesting to observe other children. Not in a weird way obviously, but he’s fascinated by them. I think it’s how he learns. He watches other children interact, and uses that to learn from.

Anyways, he and my mum were walking down the high street one Saturday morning. Leon saw a group of 6 boys about the age of 14 sitting on their bikes on the side of the road. Leon was obviously very interested in this group and was watching very intensely, simply due to fascination. However, one of these boys then says to him ‘What the f*** are you looking at?’ Now, if someone had said this to him and I had been there, if I’m honest, I would’ve hit the roof in anger. Who does this kid think he is talking to my harmless little brother like that? All he was doing was watching. However, my mum simply ignored them and kept walking, fair play to her.

After they had got what they needed from the shop, she decided to go back to where they were sitting to see if they were still there. They were. She then walked up to the boy and said ‘the reason he was looking at you so much is because he is autistic, and was extremely interested in the way you were interacting with each other’ a look of shock covered his face to which he replied ‘I am so sorry’.

Now my mum has educated this young lad into hopefully never doing something like that again. But on the whole, I think this is one of the biggest problems in society. Now in no way am I saying I didn’t do it when I was younger because I did; I was ignorant. But now I’d like to think that I am much more aware. However, too many people in society see something that isn’t ‘normal,’ whether that is the way someone acts or the way they look, and assumes that the person is just weird. NOT EVERYONE’S MIND WORKS THE SAME. If society was as accepting for everyone as it is judgmental, then it would be a much happier and even healthier environment to be a part of.