14/04/2026
Last night, something happened. My Level 1 autistic teen came with me to a check out a Christian youth group for people of all abilities. Having received his diagnosis later in age, my son has not been the most accepting of his diagnoses, and has done everything he can to put on a “mask” to try to fit in with his neurotypical peers. For my son, his challenges can be described as an “invisible disability”; struggles that he lives with but are not necessarily visible to others.
When we walked into the space with all the other youth whose disabilities were not as “invisible”, I could see that my son‘s anxiety was beginning to rise and secretly thought to myself that the night was not going to last long. When the evening transitioned to a dance party, and my son was cajoled into participating by one of the leaders, I had a strong suspicion that he would leave if given the opportunity.
When given that opportunity, I was shocked when he told me that he was good and wanted to stay. Driving home I asked what he thought, and he said that he really enjoyed it and wanted to go back. When I asked why, he said that it made him feel so calm to be in a place where he was so accepted. I asked him if he had ever been anywhere where everyone in attendance was filled with so much joy to just be there, be themselves, and to be surrounded by others without judgment, and he said that he had not. It warmed my heart that he left with such a positive experience, but also made me so sad that he had not felt that sort of acceptance in his 17 years of life.
We ALL want to feel accepted and feel joy in our communities and with our friends. Sometimes those friends might not be who we think they are. Sometimes individuals with disabilities come out ahead of what society thinks is “normal”. If you’re looking for a friend with whom you can just be yourself, someone who can be honest with you and who experiences joy in its truest form, take another look at someone with a disability and let THEIR abilities lift you up.
