My son is still at that adorable age when his obsessions are entertaining to those around him. I am always hearing about how cute, fun and smart he is. At this age, he is those things.
What people don't seem to understand is that many of those behaviors are a manifestation of his autism. His tendency to obsess over information and share it with everyone he knows might be adorable now, but not when he is 35. He may be forgiven for the constant interruptions at this age but, when he is always interrupting as an adult, it will be considered rude. He is forgiven now when he cannot stop talking but, that won't work on the job.
Rarely, it is easy to forget his struggles. He has friends that do adapt to his social struggles and play with him. When they are playing well together, he almost seems just like the rest of them. He's not. All I have to do is watch for a few minutes to see it.
Don't stop saying that my son is cute and smart. He enjoys it. But, please understand that some of those cute things that we all, including me, enjoy in him now will make his life as an adult more difficult. Our family knows adults with autism who share some of my son's issues and I am aware of their struggles. It breaks my heart to think of him struggling in that way.
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