As usual, Calder was walking ahead of me on the travelator. As I tried to catch up with him, I observed that in his haste, he had bumped shoulders with a young lady. When I reached him, I put my arm around him, ready to remind him not to knock into people. I was in time to hear the lady's friend exclaiming, "Why did he bump you?" Using the same arm that was around his shoulder, I steered Calder around to face the lady. "Calder, say 'Sorry'," I guided. "Sorry," he complied, but he wasn't looking at the lady. (Did he actually know to whom he was supposed to apologise? Now I wonder.) So I tried again, "Calder, say 'Sorry'". But he spoke it over her head! At this time, the lady's friend stepped out and said, "It's ok, no need to apologize anymore." She looked clearly embarrassed.
Well, that's a day in the life of autism.
