An adult woman with autism once told me that although she never liked clothes or fashion, when she was young, she loved going shopping with her mom. She said she would observe her mom ‘ooh and ahh’ over the perfect pair of shoes or the sweet scent of department store perfume. It was her first glimpse of her mother as an actual person, not just a parent, and it connected them in an unexpected way. When I heard this, I stopped running errands alone. Is it easier and more efficient to shop by myself? Absolutely. But my daughter doesn’t learn clothes are categorized by sizes or that her Mom wears a seven in shoes that way. I want her to be a part of this world—and my world. And the only way to do that is to expose her to both. #asd #autismfamily #girlswithautism #girlswithasd #neurodiverse #specialneedsmom #autismblogger