I had to share something that happened today because it’s not a one off. A lady referred to Reilly as disabled and then immediately panicked, worried they’d used the wrong word and offended me. I had to assure her it was ok and disabled is not a bad word. Autism is disabling, Reilly does have a learning disability this godforsaken world isn’t designed with Reilly and so many like him in mind and that creates very real barriers in everyday life.

Autism is recognised in law as a disability. That legal recognition ‘should’ 😬 protect rights, and allow access to better support.

Avoiding the word because you are scared to say the wrong thing can actually make things harder. Understanding and inclusion start with being able to talk about disability.

Reilly is valued and loved. Disability is not something that needs to be talked about in hushed tones.