Dear Parents of Children with Autism,

Hi there! It’s me, your friendly recreation program staff member. You know, one of those girls who hangs out on the playground all day making arts and crafts and playing with the children who happen to come by. I just wanted to let you know something that I’ve noticed. No, it’s not about your child. It’s about you.

You see, you always come into my shed and immediately apologize for your child. I can see the fear in your eyes. You’re not afraid of me; that would be silly. The only thing I could possibly be able to hurt would be small bugs that I’m not even aware exist.

No, you’re afraid for your child. Any parent would be. You worry that your child isn’t going to make friends, but your fear goes far beyond that. You’re afraid that my co-workers and I will be unable to handle your child. You’re afraid that we’ll be unable to see beyond the stigma, to see the beautiful child that you have raised.

Please, just stop apologizing. I know that your child is different, and you love them for it. Your apology tells me that you love them more than words will ever say. You apologize because you've seen how the world sometimes treats people with disabilities.

You're the one who sees the stares when people don't understand why your child is having a meltdown. You hear how people talk about your child, and how they feel sorry for you. You do your best to be your child's shield. The world doesn't understand just how special your child is.

However, once you step onto our playground, you are no longer in the world that wants to continue to think that it's okay to stigmatize others. Our goal is to make the playground a safe place where all children can play. Our goal is to help kids make friendships. More importantly, our goal is to make sure that everyone who comes to our playground feels accepted.

It doesn't matter to me if your child has autism or not. I know I will never be able to love your child how you do, but I do love your child. I love all the children who come to the playground. I love the ones who have plenty of money to spend on crafts and field trips, and I love the ones who can only do the free stuff. I love the kids who want to just sit inside and make crafts, and I love the kids who want to run around outside all day. I love the kids who will sit and tell me everything, and I love the kids who just want to be there. I love the kids who can speak flawless English, and I love the kids who can't.

The important thing to remember is that every child who comes on our playground is a child who wants to have fun, and at the end of the day, that's all I really care about.

Hope to see you soon!

A Shed Girl