When it came to my youngest -- who is highly intelligent but on the mild end of the autistic spectrum and thus has some trouble with social interaction, interpreting nonverbal language, and is susceptible to manipulation (especially when he was quite young) -- I took early measures to inoculate him against bullshit and the ways people prey on each other. I might have erred on the side of my fears for him at times by exposing him to things that others might not have considered age-appropriate, but I have no regrets. My validation for this approach to him is the thanks he's expressed many times for my not sugar-coating anything, however harsh the truth may have been, while he was growing up.
He's 21 now and pursuing a degree in psychology (he's also considering a second degree in biology with an emphasis on neuroscience), but he is taking a year or so off to move in with me and to get a job and some much-needed real world experience before resuming his studies. He loves art (especially music and theater/film) and is a walking encyclopedia of virtually everything that catches his fancy. He still struggles at times with the problems typical of people on the autistic spectrum, but he is increasingly self-aware when it comes to his challenges and he takes healthy measures to improve his ability to cope.
When it came to religion, I never hid my atheism but also never "indoctrinated" him with it. I gave my reasons, read him Bible stories when he was young, encouraged him to look into it for himself, and had a standing offer to take him to religious ceremonies at whatever place of worship he might be interested in attending (he declined). Unsurprisingly, given his rather literal way of dealing with things, he has little patience for woo or religious claptrap. He self-identified as an atheist about seven years ago.
As I mentioned in another thread, he's my Mini-Me.
He's 21 now and pursuing a degree in psychology (he's also considering a second degree in biology with an emphasis on neuroscience), but he is taking a year or so off to move in with me and to get a job and some much-needed real world experience before resuming his studies. He loves art (especially music and theater/film) and is a walking encyclopedia of virtually everything that catches his fancy. He still struggles at times with the problems typical of people on the autistic spectrum, but he is increasingly self-aware when it comes to his challenges and he takes healthy measures to improve his ability to cope.
When it came to religion, I never hid my atheism but also never "indoctrinated" him with it. I gave my reasons, read him Bible stories when he was young, encouraged him to look into it for himself, and had a standing offer to take him to religious ceremonies at whatever place of worship he might be interested in attending (he declined). Unsurprisingly, given his rather literal way of dealing with things, he has little patience for woo or religious claptrap. He self-identified as an atheist about seven years ago.
As I mentioned in another thread, he's my Mini-Me.
