Honesty & Autism: No, I Don’t Accept Your Invitation

If there’s one thing we could all use more of, it’s honesty—and autistic individuals often set the gold standard for it. My daughter proves this time and again with her refreshing, straightforward approach to life. Take her Spanish lesson earlier this year, for example. The task was to practice inviting someone to a party and accepting the invitation. But my daughter, ever the realist, had a different idea.

She asked her teacher if they could tweak the lesson. “It’s more useful to learn how to say no to the invite,” she explained. “I probably wouldn’t go to the party anyway.” She wasn’t being rude or snarky—just honest. And let’s face it, she’s not wrong. How often do any of us actually accept every party invitation we receive? Why not learn the art of politely skipping the ones you don’t want to attend?

What I love most about her honesty is that it’s paired with kindness. She doesn’t sugarcoat or dance around the truth, but her intentions are always genuine. She’s taught me to question why we hold ourselves to social norms that don’t always make sense. Instead of just going along with the expected, she reminds us that it’s okay to advocate for what’s more practical and authentic.

We could all take a page from her book. Imagine how much simpler life would be if we were all brave enough to be as honest as my daughter. Whether it’s about a party or anything else, a little authenticity goes a long way. And in case you’re wondering—yes, she nailed the Spanish for “No, gracias.”

#HonestyGoals #InclusionMatters #AutismAcceptance #SkippingTheParty #AutismInsightsFoundation