When I was a kid in Connecticut I went with my Father to take my sister and her infant son to the train station.  My sister had a lot of bags so my Father helped her carry her things on to the train.  I was standing on the platform waiting for my Father to get off the train so we could go home.  Then all of a sudden the train started moving with my Father still on the train!  Here I am, an 8-year-old boy standing on the train platform all by myself while my Father is on the train heading to Washington DC. I remember seeing the train start to pull away, and my Father waving at me through the window to go to the ticketing office so I can tell them what happened.   This was in the days where there were no cell phones, so my Father couldn't communicate with me to let me know what was happening.  I went into the ticketing office and through sobs told the ticket agent that my Father got stuck on the train and I got left on the platform all by myself.  The ticket agent was very reassuring and told me that everything was going to be OK.  Fortunately the next stop was only about 30 minutes away so I was reunited with my Father in an couple of hours.  It was one of the scariest times of my entire childhood, being left on the train platform all by myself. 

Some with ASD may flap their hands, run in circles, or do some other body movement. Trevor would rock from side to side in bed before going to sleep. This started with birth and continued into his early elementary years. He would also run in circles in the living room and talk to himself, which seemed to calm him.

See all 100 lessons at GrowingUpAutistic.com.

Several years back I managed a group of very high-energy, spirited, vocal managers.  One of the managers was particularly vocal on just about every issue.  This manager, who I'll call "Vox", frequently complained to me about other managers, about how Vox's organization wasn't being rewarded appropriately, and how Vox's organization needed more people than Vox's peers.  I did a lot of discussing with Vox about the issues that Vox faced but found that I would frequently give in to Vox's demands.  Vox's peers became very frustrated not only with Vox but also with me because I was showing preferential treatment to Vox.  We would be in meetings and Vox would start complaining about something which would lead into how Vox's team was more important than peer teams, and how Vox's team should be given more in compensation because they were more talented than the rest of the team.  Vox was the squeaky wheel, and I would grease it just to stop it from squeaking. I not only allowed Vox to be the squeaky wheel, but unwittingly encouraged it because I gave Vox what Vox wanted.  Everyone was frustrated with me. Bad on me

Technologists frequently take a stance of developing customized solutions versus configuring packaged solutions.

Be open-minded when evaluating packaged solutions; let the requirements drive good enough decisions.

See all 100 lessons at 6WordLessons.com.

Those with ASD typically avoid eye contact. With Trevor, we found that it wasn't that he disliked eye contact, it was just something he didn't normally do. Patty and I consciously worked with him to look us in the eye when talking. As an adult he mostly establishes and engages in eye contact during conversations.

​See all 100 lessons at GrowingUpAutistic.com.