Bullies kept calling 12-yr-old with autism and ADHD 'weak' — his powerful response made his dad proud
Sometimes, kids know exactly what they need when they face some tough situations in life. Similarly, when a 12-year-old autistic kid with ADHD was being bullied at school, he told his dad what he wanted to do about it. His dad felt really proud of his son's response and knew he would be alright. The dad, u/DamnRock, shared his son's email and the entire incident on Reddit, and the internet felt that the dad should definitely get behind the son's decision.
"My son is autistic and has ADHD and is small for his age (12). He gets picked on, but it's things like this that make me realize that he is gonna be alright," the father wrote in the caption. Also, he shared a screenshot of his son's email that read, "Dad, when I come home, can I go to the shop and lift some weights?" The boy added, "I keep getting called weak, and I won't stand for it." The dad further shared in a comment that his son used to go for Taekwondo when he was younger. "He was in Taekwondo for a couple of years. He chose to stop going. He seemed to like the structure and skills, but hated the sparring part of it and when his best friend moved, he lost all interest. Wish we could have kept him in it, but he just didn't want to go anymore."
The father also explained that he did what his son wanted in such cases. "Sometimes he does have an 'I’m fine, they need to change' mentality and other times he takes things as a challenge. I think there is a place for both mindsets in his path." Also, the father planned to get his son started on things like pushups, air squats, planks, crunches, etc. "I'd like him to kind of prove his intent that way before I invest in weight training equipment and a space for it." The dad shared that they often reassured his son when he got bullied and told him that he did not need to change himself, but some things still affected him.
People in the comments shared their thoughts. u/EmperorBamboozler wrote, "Take this seriously and support his decision to go to the gym. It really helps with ADHD, and speaking from personal experience, it helps a lot with autism. Starting young is great, as it means he is likely to make it into a long-term habit. People around me notice the behavioral changes when I skip going to the gym for a week. Consider getting him some sessions with a personal trainer, so he can learn proper form and which exercises are safe for him at that age. Hope the best for you guys."
u/karsa69420 commented, "You should do some research on weightlifting and help him. However, if his autism is anything like mine, I’m sure he already has. But it would mean so much. Coming from someone whose dad would never do that with soccer or theater for me." u/saddivad2020 remarked, "Get him into Brazilian Jiu Jitsu! And teach him responsibility, that if he can really hurt someone, he should avoid fights at all costs."