The times, they are a changing...

 It's interesting to hear what kids are talking about and thinking about these days. It is especially interesting to hear a child with Autism's take on certain issues...in this case, infidelity and gay and lesbian issues.

I was helping a student with a worksheet geared towards recognizing facial expressions and emotions. There was a picture of a woman who looked like she was angry and yelling. I asked my student: "How do you think this woman is feeling?"

He replied with an excited smirk on his face, "She looks scared and angry! I think she is angry because she caught her husband dating another lady, and I think she is scared that he is going to leave and marry the other lady now!"

On the same worksheet, there was another picture of two young ladies smiling and laughing together. He told me, "They look really happy! I think it is because they are in a LESBIAN relationship!"...He was pretty excited about that one.

    Well, at least he understands and accepts homosexuality. There has been a couple of times were the issue of homosexuality and same sex relationships has baffled some of the children I have worked with. I don't know how I get myself in these situations, but I do.

    I was working with a student who had just come back from his friend's birthday party. This friend has two moms, but apparently my student didn't quite clue into that. I asked him who all went to the party, after he listed off some names he said, "...and his mom was there, and.....I think his older sister????"
I just left it at that.

Here is another situation I got myself into:

    There is a same sex couple that I work with who also work with some of the students I work with, but apparently, the students were not aware of their relationship, and stupid me, "outed" them. Here is conversation we had: (Note: Names have been changed, for obvious reasons....)

Driving in the car:

Me: "Oh look, Tammy just drove by."

Student #1: "Who is Tammy?"

Me, "You know, Tammy....Sandra's wife...."

Student #1: "Wait. What?...Sandra has a wife?...I don't get it..."

Me (Thinking, "Oh man, not another awkward conversation"): "Well you know how some some women marry men, and men marry men, and women marry women..."

Student #1: "Um, I think so?"

Me: "Well Sandra and Tammy are married"

Student #1: "That's very unusual"

Me: "Actually, it's not. It's perfectly normal,"

Student #2 pipes up from the backseat: "But only women can have babies, so if a man marries a man, they can't have children."

Me: "Not physically, but they can adopt..."

Student #1: "Yes, but I bet the "adoptee" would be REALLY confused..."

At that point, I started making small talk...

Note to parents:

PLEASE educate your children on these issues, so your service provider does not get caught off guard, babbles like an idiot, and confuses your children further.