"It was Mother's Day and things had gone poorly. I was (am) a single mom, with four kids, and felt very alone. We had gone to brunch, and as usual I'd had to pick the place, make the arrangements, and of course, pay. When my kids get together (even now, as adults), bickering and conflict are not uncommon. I'm supposed to be grateful for their "candor" around me because it means they feel safe, but I was seriously indulging in a pity party instead."
"My own mother died the day before a previous Mother's Day, and this was the first time I'd celebrated the holiday without extended family, or her. I've lowered Mother's Day expectations since then to... well, nil-expecting nothing and being content with that. But this particular story took place when I was a mere (!) two decades in. Sad and unappreciated was all I felt."
Prior research on empathy and autism contained methodological and interpretive flaws that led to incorrect generalizations. Intimate personal experience and recent research indicate that autistic people can and do experience empathy and other complex emotions. Presuming empathy and emotional capacity in autistic individuals supports dignity, accurate assessment, and more respectful interactions. An illustrative incident describes a Mother's Day when a mother's cherished tumbler was broken by a young autistic child who used breaking glass to self-regulate. Contextual understanding of sensory regulation explains some behaviors and places responsibility on caregivers to reduce risk while respecting emotional experience.
Read at Psychology Today
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