My Nonverbal Son Just Teenagered Me. Here’s Why It Mattered.

Lucas looked me right in the eye and slammed his bedroom gate in my face like a stereotypical teenager. I couldn't stop laughing.It also perfectly demonstrated why I've never assigned a "mental age" to my nonverbal 15-year-old son.This week on Hi Pod! I'm Dad, I talk about that wonderfully teenage moment and why trying to reduce Lucas to a developmental age has never made sense to me. The same kid who shuts his gate in Dad's face still loves toys and shows he's enjoyed since he was little. Both things can be true.I also talk about taking Lucas to a sensory-friendly showing of Paw Patrol after nearly a decade away from movie theaters, why I no longer worry about whether the things he enjoys are "age appropriate," and an old thrift-store experience that showed me just how much other people's perceptions used to bother me.Somewhere along the way, that pressure disappeared. In fact, while recording this episode, I realized I couldn't even remember how that thrift-store encounter ended.Maybe that's the point.Lucas likes what Lucas likes. We try things, leave if they don't work, stay when they do, and spend a lot less time worrying about how any of it looks to everybody else.In this episode:Why I don't assign Lucas a "mental age"The gate slam that was pure teenagerWhy both of my kids will always be "baby" versions of themselves in my headOur first successful movie-theater trip in about a decadeWhy sensory-friendly screenings worked for LucasTaking a 15-year-old to Paw Patrol without worrying about "age appropriate"The thrift-store memory I unexpectedly realized I'd forgottenWhat Lucas taught me about doing what makes you happyIt's Here! Get the book – “Hi World, I’m Dad: How Fathers Can Journey to Autism Awareness, Acceptance, and Appreciation” on audio, digital, or print.Follow Us On TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube. Also, be sure to read the blog that started it all - Hi Blog! I'm Dad.