I've heard stories of people overcoming amazing personal obstacles, some far more dramatic than anything you will find in my home. I want my children to likewise overcome their obstacles and find their niches in the world. So I avoid telling funny stories about their lives or otherwise holding them up to ridicule.
Different? Yes, they're different. In The Rolling Stones Heinlein wrote "Roger, have you ever met any normal people? I never have. The so-called normal man is a figment of the imagination; every member of the human race, from Jojo the cave man right down to that final culmination of civilization, namely me, has been as eccentric as a pet coon once you caught him with his mask off." Likewise us, neurotypical and other. Of course some differences are good, some add color, and some need correction.
And problems get magnified when you have to jam in to a particular mold. Schools want you to sit down and shut up and listen. We all know how well that works for kids with ADD, for example.
What helps? Patience, of course, and lots of different points of view that help see the unconventional and keep us from getting into unhelpful ruts. And friends. We've been very blessed with friends. I pray that you are also.
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