‘Today social media attacked autism. It mocked, insulted, and made fun of people like my boy.’: Mom to son with autism responds to ‘ugly’ TikTok challenge 

“Boy I got mad today.

I let the ugly in the world get the better of me.

There is ugliness in the world every day that I choose to block out. I’m not one to watch the news.

I don’t click on every negative article that comes up.

I tend to see the beauty of things over the ugly.

But today social media attacked autism.

People on social media attacked those like my son.

With a TikTok challenge designed to make fun of people with disabilities, specifically autism.

If social media was a physical thing, I would have got in my car, drove to it today and ripped it to shreds.

It scares me how mad I got today.

Because my boy is only 4.

His battles are just beginning.

The bullying hasn’t come to him. Yet.

I don’t want to believe it ever will,

I want to believe his battles will be small

Just like he is now.

Every part of me is all about celebrating autism. Every single part of my heart and beliefs is about celebrating my son’s way of life.

I advocate, speak for autism, and preach autism from sun up to sun down in hopes that the world will understand my son a little better.

In hopes that other grownups will teach their children to understand mine a little better.

To soften the harsh reality that comes with being ‘different,’ being excluded.

To feel so full of power and love and praise for people with autism like I do.

I feel equally as infuriated to see something targeted to mock, insult, hurt or make fun of people like my boy.

I am scared of how I will remain calm, how I will rise above situations which may happen in the future as a result of a physical human being.

We all worry about if our kids get bullied, but this, to bully my son about his autism –

I have fear for whoever goes there.

There is beauty in the world every single day, there is ugly in the world just as much.

Behind every beauty, there is a beast,

That beast is me.

A mother to a child with autism.

Run.”

This story was submitted to Love What Matters by Lucy Watts. You can follow her journey on Facebook and Instagram. Submit your own story here, and be sure to subscribe to our free email newsletter for our best stories.

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