What's a Parent's Role?

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It's not your job or responsibility to diagnose or label someone else's child.

There are other ways to help, like providing emotional support and being a steady, non-overwhelming presence.

Manage your expectations. Even if you offer advice, you can't force someone to accept it.

We've all been on both sides of it: judging other parents or feeling judged ourselves. Someone observes a child for five minutes and decides they're "definitely on the spectrum" or "obviously ADHD." The person might be a neighbor, acquaintance, or stranger, but they see something they believe requires parental intervention, yet believe that nothing is happening, like a child who's:

Having a tantrum in a public place over something small and insignificant

Asking too many questions without realizing the social cues to stop

Grabbing things off the shelf in a store without a care in the world

Clearly, these badly behaved children have an undiagnosed disability, right? And it makes you wonder, What are the parents thinking? Why aren't they intervening? Do they even know their child?

First, I will acknowledge that you’re likely trying to help. Odds are that your labeling isn’t........

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