DS 16 wants to dress as Indiana Jones

[StunningBombshell]

DS 16 has ASD, just started college, making new friends. He has bought a small leather satchel bag, Indiana jones style hat and khaki cargos and some shirts.

He goes to college looking like Indiana Jones. He’s loving how people are commenting on ‘how cool’ he looks. I’m happy he’s happy, but am worried people are laughing at him rather than with him (he wouldn’t be able to tell the difference).

should I just let him get on with it or intervene? WWYD?

I chose YANBU as you're just worrying as a good mother

However, don't worry 🙂

Omg me too.....

I'm jealous. I'd dress like Indiana if it were socially acceptable for my age. 😂

My godson is about to turn 16 and is autistic. His mother has had to have a couple of conversations regarding his self-presentation — admittedly his preferred look was considerably more extreme than your son’s (to the point where she worried about him being attacked on public transport), but his idea of the face he was presenting to the world differed radically from how it came across to other people. Neurodiverse or not, and whether it involves the risk of actual danger or not, I think that’s a conversation worth having.

A good friend dressed as Lord Byron during our A levels, one of the most enduringly popular people from that school. Now diagnosed ASD (we are in our 50s now). I think we were all just in awe of the confidence, because so many of us were still desperate to fit in.

Go back 10 years and most young people dressed in tribes. Goth, grung, new romantics etc often related to music tastes. It's only the last few years all teenagers have dressed identical. It's nice to see the individualism coming back.

As a mum whose child is not at this age yet, I would like to think I would 100% encourage this*

*I will get back to you in 5 years

Good for him!! Over the many years I have been around I have found that those who dare to be different are generally pretty popular. The odd comment (mainly from the oldies) "what do they think they look like" but most people wanted to be their friend 😁