An open letter to our local diner: Thank you for welcoming our autistic son

I can’t overestimate the value of that smile of recognition offered to us each time we come to the Deluxe Town Diner. The experience of being truly seen, autism and all, and yet still accepted is profound. My husband and I often split up to go out, one of us staying home with our disabled son while the other accompanies our daughter, or we pay for a babysitter to watch Finn so we can enjoy the sorts of activities we took for granted before he was born — going to the museum, to the movies, or to friends’ parties — without the sudden need to pack up and leave because of a violent outburst.