A little kid on the bus this afternoon came up to me and said he loved my shirt (It has a big pink skull on it) and gave me a hug while his mum was like 'I swear he's not being creepy.', obviously worried I was going to freak out. Which, first of all, he's like six. Six-year-olds as a general rule can't be creepy unless they're slowly singing nursery rhymes in extremely posh English accents. Second, he'd been vocal stimming and popping and happy flapping the whole trip and we started popping to each other. When I happy flapped in response to his hug, his face lit right up.
I understand why his mum was worried, though. I was the only white-ish person on the bus, so she must have been thinking I was going to pitch a fit, and I hate that that's something she needs to worry about. Black autistic kids are already expected to regulate their behaviours a hell of a lot more than even NT white kids to stay safe. I'll be damned if I'm going to help perpetuate the idea that a little Black kid is scary or dangerous for any reason, least of all because they were just doing what autistic kids do. Whether that's having no volume control when they loudly tell someone on the bus that their shirt makes them happy, or having a meltdown because they're overstimulated in a mall.
Today's the day! 🎉🎉🎉
Happy Book Birthday to WHAT DO BROTHAS DO ALL DAY?!
🎂 https://bit.ly/Brothaspb
I hope my new picture book brings joy, color, and smiles of recognition to readers of all ages. 📘
Please spread the word. I appreciate your support! 🥰