Explaining autism to little ones

[Othersideofthechannel]

What's the best way to explain autism (and other non visible special needs) to little ones?
The other day my 5 yr old was on a piece of playground equipment for one child and a much bigger boy came and sat on it next to her and gently started to force her off. I said to him 'DD was here first. Can you let her finish her turn' and then his mother arrived to explain he was autistic (in a really harassed way, she was simultaneously having trouble with her dog). So I asked DD to move because 'he doesn't understand about sharing'. At first she didn't move and asked 'Why?' because in her world up until know it's only younger children who don't understand about sharing.
So I had to explain within earshot of the boy and his mother and I said 'There's something not quite right in his brain so he doesn't understand about sharing'
Is this acceptable do you think? Any better way to explain it?

up until now

No expert on autism, perhaps, 'something different with his brain' might be better. I am having to start explaining to 4yr old about her brother with cysts in his brain and consequent sensory & learning probs. I told her he had bubbles in his brain when he was born and that was why. She got the wrong end of the stick and I heard her explain to friend that he was born with his head off!

I used to tell ds1 and his friends that ds2 found some things much trickier than the rest of us and that some things would take much much longer to learn. ie social rules. Ds2's particular difficulties were called autism. Just like a blind person finds seeing tricky and a deaf person finds hearing tricky, a person with autism sometimes finds sharing, waiting and other things tricky.

When ds1 got to about 5 he was asking more detailed questions and we went down the route of "neurons" as he loved anything to do with bodies. We joined our fingers together at the top and told him that was how messages got around the body but then we moved our fingers along one so that there was a spare one at the end (Not sure the imagery is working well on this but bear with me) we told ds1 that ds2 had these bits of information in his brain like everyone else but they had nowhere to go ie there wasn't a finger to join onto so thats why he found things tricky. It seemed to work and we adapted it further as he got older

I do think the mother in the park could have been a bit more gracious to you and helped you explain things to your DD. Going to the park was always a nightmare so I can understand why she would have been feeling harassed (dog aside) she would most probably have had problems had her child had to wait anyway. Parks are notoriously difficult places for asd kids and consequently their carers too. I only went a few times because it got too difficult.

Thanks, yes 'different' would have been a better term. I knew I hadn't found the best words for the situation but I was a bit thrown because I had no idea he was autistic until the mother said so.

ds2 is now 14, was talking about when he was 2,3 and 4. Used to lick the bins and slides and anything metal. We moved to a bigger house and made our own make shift park out the back.

eatyourveg
My DS does that.
Especially if it has rainwater on it! Do you think its sensory? Does your DS still do it or has he grown out of it?

he's grown out of it, yes a sensory thing, I think cold surfaces such as mirrors and tv screens as well as windows is not unusual. Water was a huge turn on for him and he still finds the hosepipe thrilling.