14 Wonderful, Unique and Funny Ways Kids Have Explained Disability

At The Mighty, we know that sometimes kids can offer us a brand new perspective on the world. So, we decided to ask our readers who are parents to share some of the wonderful, unique and funny things their kids have said about their disability.

These were your answers:

1. “‘I’m not Autistic, I’m Cara.’ My now 9-year-old daughter said that when someone called her autistic instead of saying she had autism. Well played, baby girl. Well, played.” — Kim Vivanco

2. “My cousin says she has ‘Up syndrome’ because she’s happy, not sad.” — Cassie Collins

3. “My oldest son is in fourth grade and decided he couldn’t do his math homework because of autism. Nice try, kiddo.” — Stephanie France Fry

4. “My husband’s student once said, ‘I know I’m special, but why do they call me Ed?’ — Liz Gorgue Rosas

5. “My 3-year-old daughter tells others she has ‘terrible palsy.’ One of these days she’ll be able to pronounce ‘cerebral,’ but today is not that day.” — Ashley Mobley

6. “Another child asked my daughter what her hearing aids were for. She responded, ‘They are like glasses for my ears!’” — Kerri Goff

7. “My 4-year-old daughter overheard her father and me talking about her autism diagnosis. She turned and looked at us and enthusiastically yelled, ‘I awesome!’ Best mispronunciation she has ever made.” — Kendra Hopkins

8. “Our daughter sometimes wears a gastric drain bag to empty food that is too much for her to handle. She gets a lot of questions and stares. Once, when she was about 6 years old, a woman after a long hard stare said ‘OK, I have to ask, what the heck is that?’ Our daughter, without skipping a beat replied, ‘It’s my own personal slushy, you want to try some?’ I could have exploded trying to hold in my laughter. ” — Kate Sytsma

9. “Our oldest son, Xavier said to a friend, ‘My brother, Cooper, has autism. Do you know what that means?’

Friend: ‘No.’

Xavier: ‘It means he likes his hotdogs not touching his French fries and that we give him extra time getting out of the car.’

Friend: ‘That’s cool.’

Xavier: ‘You know what else is cool about autism?’

Friend: ‘What?’

Xavier: ‘Everything. Especially Cooper.’” — Makenna Dubay

10. “My son has worn ankle-foot orthotics for years. He used to be embarrassed and hide them under pants. If someone would say something he would cry. Then, one day, he chose to wear shorts. He was asked by a child what happened to his legs and he said, without hesitation, ‘I fell off a cliff and lived to tell about it.’ The child’s eyes got big and then he walked away, and I turned my head and just about choked through my laughing. Through the sarcasm, my son turned a corner on his disability!” — Julie Bayles

11. “One year at camp another camper asked my daughter, ‘Why do you use a wheelchair?’ to which she replied, ‘Because I’m awesome.’ When that response wasn’t enough, the kid looked at a counselor and said, ‘No, really, why does she use that?’ The counselor then said, ‘Because she gets tired quicker than you… and because she’s awesome.’” — Alexis Snyder

12. “I have tics, and I don’t mean the bugs.” —  Kristy Madden Kassebaum

13. “My brothers and I all have autism, but this was my youngest brother’s way of explaining his Asperger’s syndrome:  ‘If my dad’s head was a golf ball, my head would be a beach ball.’ Nobody understood what he meant except him and me, and that’s all that matters.” — Hannah Walker

14. “God had to level the playing field a bit for everyone else, so he gave me spina bifida.” — Jake Siem

What are some things your child has said? Let us know in the comments below. Your answer could be used in a post on The Mighty