Badges

[Moomoomie]

Just wanted to gauge people's opinions on badges that children wear saying " "I have Autism, please be patient with me"
We have just come back from a lovely camping weekend where there were many families with children, dd3 is a very sociable little girl and loves playing with the other children but is not good at reading all the non verbal signs etc.
I felt very judged by the other parents as her behaviour was very poor at times and I also overheard a few children talking about her.
DH has suggested buying/making a badge she can wear. He also suggested I grew a thicker skin!

I think a quiet word with the other parents is probably a better idea. I don't think a badge is very nice, although I have seen them so I guess they work for some people.

I'm not sure it would work for DS - "I probably have Executive Functioning Disorder" isn;t teh easiest badge for the general public to understand.

But I can see the point of something most people "get" like autism - even if they don;t really get it, they will probably make allowances.

Mind you it depends to a large degree how DD3 would feel about it - I can;t remember how old she is.

I used to wish that DD had an identifiable difference to the norm so that folk would cut her some slack when she made social blunders (which was, and still is quite often).

I grew that thick skin to a certain extent. DD didn't, her self esteem is very low.

I don't particularly like the idea myself. I think I will just have to toughen up a bit more.
I just wish people were less judgey and more accepting of differences.

Personally, I would not want a badge on my dd. I am not sure what it would say, I have dyslexia and this may be the reason i can be incredibly difficult! A big badge would be needed. I think (just personal opinion) have a word with mums/dads of kids she know and make it clear what it means for your dd. I understand all conditions are different so to some degree even with regular conditions it might be easier to say dd fiinds this or that difficult and it would make it easier for her if when she is with you you could blah blah etc.

As far as the thicker skin goes, I am not sure. In one sense it is OK, more than OK that you are upset by comments about your beloved dd. I guess the thicker skin comes in more (IMHO) that you realise that other people just do not always get it and if they are not in your shoes maybe they never will. So you cut them more slack for their ignorance and try and help them to understand when appropriate to do so. That is totally my opinion.

I think a badge is awful, sorry

There are cards you can get, like business cards, that basically say 'my child has autism, please be kind' or any wording you want.

If you need to do something, it's a much more discrete way of telling them. I thing you can get them a lot of places online but I am pretty sure the burgess autistic trust either sells them or says where to get them.

Families... That was my first reaction. I really don't want the whole world to know.
Mercy... I have seen cards etc online. Maybe that would be a better option.

I have realised over the last few days too that I totally over analyse everything and maybe I am making it out to be worse than it is.

Thank you all for your input.