The Legend of Smockity Frock: World Autism Awareness Day

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Has anyone been reading about the Smockity Frock affair? In honour of World Autism Awareness day tomorrow, I've added my voice to the MANY autism bloggers writing about this issue. Sharing this story is much more powerful than 'wearing blue'. If you're interested in reading about it and finding links to other bloggers who are using this unfortunate story as an opportunity to spread awareness, please check out www.welcome-to-normal.com

Wow, that crap is crazy. Homeschooling Christian indeed. How can she love her neighbor, if she can't even like her kid? Wth. I liked your Suprising Signs of Autism post. It was beautiful. AIM wouldn't let me post a comment, so here it is.

I propose we impale her with a giant barbed stick and burn her.

No Gifted-Monster, that would defeat the purpose of learning from her mistake.

What really schocked me is all the people who chimed in to egg her on. What a shame.

I know penguinmom - that's why it's not really the original post that was the real problem. It's what happened after that post. The way the situation was handled, between the 'you're so funny' comments and the bitter defensiveness when people gently explained that the child was likely Autistic, the ignorant comments about Temple Grandin and disciplining autistic kids '1950s style', the rather self-centred 'apology'. It's was all so depressing - but once I started reading the blogophere reactions, including one for the Washington Post - that's where the sun started shining again and it became clear that this Smockity mess was an opportunity to really spread awareness, and bloggers were taking up the challenge. I think when all is said and done, it will end up helping, more than hurting.

It wasn't her kid. It was someone she didn't know.

I enjoyed your blog

I think, beyond whether or not the child was AS, what got me was the "holier than thou" stuff. The assumption that anyone can "know" what is going on and, of course, would have handled it all "so much better." I don't care whose child is involved and what condition they may or may not have, it really is rude to judge someone esle's handling of their child in a situation like this. It may have been a major victory for that 4 year old to be able to get as far as she had with patience, and there was no allowance at all for that possibility, just negative judgement and "I'm so glad I've raised my kids better" ego.

Smockity is now my new go to explative. "SMOCKITY that sharp pointy toy I stepped on really hurt!"

Yup, and you're not the only one: http://jennyalice.blogspot.com/2010/03/ ... ctive.html

Unfortunately, Smockity's reaction is very typical of parents these days - the whole 'look how well I've raised my kids compared to this kid, aren't a fantastic parent, please praise me now' crap. It really is disgusting.

The fact that Smockity was reading the Bible whilst telling herself just what a damn good parent she was and how good she was not to say anything to the child really re-enforced to me that many people who call themselves Christians really don't understand and don't practice what they read in their Bibles. It's all just lip service or they pick out the bits that suit them at the times that it suits them.