As an autistic daughter myself, I can relate to this on another level. I am 14 years old rn and I'm not allowed to cook, only bake. I'm definitely not allowed to touch the knife, I still have parental controls on my devices even though I was supposed to be able to decide whether I wanted to manage my own account or not on my 13th birthday. My mom packs my lunch, definitely invades my privacy and also talks about my autism in a way that gives me insecurities just like the part in the video where Lauren's mom tried to tell her why she can't have a boyfriend. Honestly, I almost teared up watching this because it's the most relatable thing I've ever seen in my life. This video is just so heartwarming. I also just feel like my mom doesn't trust me. She doesn't even let me go outside by myself unless I have to walk home from my coding class and she only allows that because my little brother walks with me + she makes me text her to assure her that I am ok. Honestly, even though this is just a story, I'm so glad that everything turned out well for Lauren because I don't know if it will be the same for me. Me and my mom had a talk today and she is definitely ok with me going to college once I graduate hs but I feel like she wants me to stay near home and start with community college before transferring. She said that I would need to stay and "grow up more" because I can't do my laundry, I can't cook and I am terrible at cleaning (I wonder why). Also, I would need a job which is a big change. At this point, this video just reminds me of my mom and I'm scared that she might stalk me like that too. Honestly, I don't know anything anymore. If you're not autistic then pls don't judge us. I feel overwhelmed constantly because of having to worry about not only what my mom would say but what other people would think. We are aware of our condition because we hear a lot from our parents. I know this is messy but If you actually read up to here, then thank you for reading my tedtalk.
