My Buddy

My parents took Eric to the aquarium one day for a “Family Fun” event hosted by Pathfinders for Autism. Eric’s friend from school, who also has Autism, was there with his family, so they all decided to spend the day together.

Eric’s friend is very verbal, too. He loves Eric and calls him “my buddy,” which I think is one of the most adorable things I’ve ever heard. He’s very observant and likes to inquire about things that spark his interest. One of my favorite examples of this took place at the aquarium that day.

Like I said, this was a “Family Fun” event that Pathfinders for Autism was hosting, so there were many people with Autism at the aquarium. Eric’s friend noticed a girl who was making noises and clapping her hands (mannerisms that a person who is familiar with Autism would find perfectly fine), and he asked my dad, “Does that girl have Autism?”

My father was probably a bit taken back, but responded, “Yes she does.”

With this confirmation, he then turned to Eric and said, “Hey, buddy, that girl has Autism just like you.” Does anyone else see the irony in this situation?

I wasn’t there to witness this myself, but my parents told me about it the second they saw me later that day. They wouldn’t stop talking about how cute it was and how much everyone laughed about it.

To me, this story is the prime example of how wit and innocence work together to showcase the multi-dimensional personalities of people on the spectrum.