30 Mar Susan’s Sound Advice #497
Today I learned an important lesson. While appearing at a wonderful charity event for mothers of children with autism, I had a conversation with one particular mom. During the conversation, I stated that I had a friend whose child was autistic. She very politely said that she does not refer to her son or any other person, as “autistic”, but says that she has a son with “autism”. The difference? Saying that someone is autistic is labeling them as just that. They are much more than their disability. I had no idea, and I thanked her over and over for teaching me something today. I know that I am constantly telling my clients that they are not “depressed”, “anxious”, “sad”, or “lonely”. They “FEEL” those feelings, but they are not defined by those labels. They may feel depressed, but depression is not who they are! No labels! Once we label ourselves and others, we negate who we are as a whole human being.
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