As the mother of a child with a neurodivergent condition, I’ve navigated my fair share of uncomfortable comments over the years.

Everyone from fellow parents and family members to my son’s karate class teacher has made inconsiderate or simply ill-informed remarks about my parenting skills or my child’s perceived deficiencies.

In my son’s case, the neurodivergent condition is ADHD, but another community of parents and children is subject to just as many (if not far more) comments from observers: families with children who are autistic.

Parents of autistic kids warn that some of the emerging attitudes on autism aren't just off-putting, but dangerous.

Recent headlines about Tylenol/paracetamol use during pregnancy potentially increasing the risk of neurological conditions such as autism (albeit with ample pushback from medical professionals) have put this community in the spotlight. But national news developments aside, the comments from outside observers, whether well-meaning or just toxic, are all too common for families who have an autistic child.

“There are a whole host of misconceptions out there about what autism is and how it impacts someone’s life,” Amy Dykstra, registered psychologist and owner of Bluebird Psychology, told HuffPost. “Autism is a spectrum, but it is common for people to create a mental image of someone who is maybe nonverbal or less able to function independently.”

Here are some of the most common insensitive or misinformed comments that parents of children with autism receive and why they can be so harmful (and hurtful).

1. ‘She doesn’t look autistic.’

This........

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