A UK father with an autistic son vented his frustration on social media over family friends never inviting his son to their kids’ birthday parties – and his outburst has been met with overwhelming support and empathy.
His message (which contains several expletives) was shared by his wife on Twitter. He says:
“Right this has been brewing for some time… My son Reilly has autism not f@#$ leprosy; he is 6 years old and my so called friends who have kids also have kids parties. Not ONE invite not f*&%$ one… have you any idea how hurtful that is?”
He ended the message by saying, “Just for the record in future don’t bother he’s not an after thought he’s my every f%$^ thought.”
His heartbreak was clear and people were quick to respond with empathy, leaving comments such as:
“Reilly is lucky to have such passionate parents.”
“They are not real friends, he is spot on. We have been through exactly the same. Stay strong.”
“Take heart – you will find families that embrace you all. Doesn’t take away all the hurt but gives you comfort.”
“I’m so desperately sorry your friends have made you feel so alone.”
“My son is autistic & 19 years old. I have lost friends, but the flip side is I have made friends for life who are on the same journey.”
His wife shared on Twitter that these ‘so-called’ friends were friends they’d considered ‘lifelong’. Many commenters suggested walking away from them and finding new, more supportive friends.
According to Autism New Zealand, Autism or Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) affects one in 66 people, or around 65,000 New Zealanders.
An Autism Spectrum Disorder is a life-long developmental disability that affects social and communication skills. People with the disability can also have accompanying learning disabilities.
There can be many differing degrees of severity and a variety of manifestations, so the term Autism Spectrum Disorder is often used to describe the whole range, including Asperger syndrome, which is a form of autism at the higher functioning end of the autism spectrum.