Having an autistic family member can be both rewarding and challenging. Individuals with autism often have unique strengths and abilities, but they may also face difficulties in daily life that require special attention and care. It can be an opportunity to learn about a different way of thinking and communicating, but it can also require patience, understanding, and flexibility.

However, recently, a guy on the internet shared a story about his autistic brother-in-law, who, according to him, exploits people’s perception in order to control them.

More info: Reddit

When people are around certain health issues for long enough, it’s normal for some doubt to kick in

Image credits: RODNAE Productions (not the actual image)

Guy asked the community if he was wrong for ordering nachos after brother in-law caused a scene over the crunch

Image credits: u/Consistent_Cat_1126 

Image credits: Thanh Do (not the actual image)

The tantrum started after the crunch sound from nachos and seeing olives which don’t belong on them

Image credits: u/Consistent_Cat_1126 

Image credits: Herson Rodriguez (not the actual image)

The author ended up being the bad guy for not listening to his wife’s hints and ordering crunchy food

The Reddit user “Consistent_Cat_1126” shared his story to one of the Reddit communities for its members’ opinions on whether he was wrong for ordering nachos at a restaurant and causing his autistic brother-in-law to have a tantrum over the sound of the crunch. The discussion very fast went viral and reached over 15K upvotes and almost 4K comments.

The OP introduces the narrative by stating that his 32-year-old brother-in-law has autism, ADHD, and set-point obesity. However, the author believes that he benefits from people’s perceptions of these things for his good. Now, the big event started when the man and his wife invited their in-laws to a restaurant for Easter dinner. These arrangements were ideal as the brother-in-law had other plans. However, unfortunately for the OP, these plans got canceled, which meant only one thing – brother-in-law was joining them for dinner.

Now, the family went to a restaurant best known for its bar cuisine, and the original author immediately ordered nachos. He recalls his wife telling him not to, but he wasn’t really aware of her cues. And here we go, the first bite prompted the BIL’s tantrum for two reasons—the crunch was “killing him” and the black olives don’t belong on nachos (Mexico and Spain, you know, it’s not the same). Following the scene, the author was criticized for causing another scene, just this time through his own words.

Well, regarding this part of the story, the author himself agrees that he was a jerk, as he called his brother-in-law a creep and claimed that the list of things you can not do near BIL is ridiculous. However, the evening finished with the in-laws leaving, a lecture from the wife that he should have noticed how they never have chips at home and the traditional silent treatment.

Image credits: RODNAE Productions (not the actual image)

The audience pronounced him Not The A-hole and in the comment section, a thread started making fun of the olives and nachos situation. One user went ahead: “I can’t believe your in-laws are jalapeno grill about some cheesy chip goodness.” “No wonder OP has beef with them,” continued another.

Additionally, the users were helpful regarding the situation as some of them were dealing with the same problem. First of all, sound-proof headphones could have helped to avoid this situation. Second of all, if the family is aware of his serious health-related issue, they could have avoided a restaurant that is famous for its bar food. Even if the author wouldn’t have ordered nachos, there is a very high probability that somebody else around their table would eat crunchy food.

Now, according to Sarah Barkely, 50% to 70% of autistic people eventually experience diminished sound tolerance, according to study. She provides a few methods that can ease the discomfort. First of all, to prevent sound sensitivity from being triggered, avoiding loud events or places may be the first step. Try visiting new places during the quiet time of the day.

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To avoid overstimulation, many people wear earplugs or noise-canceling headphones. These devices can help to visit spaces that were almost impossible before and increase the possibility to participate in everyday life. A 2018 study also discovered that wearing noise-canceling headphones boosted the involvement of autistic children in their homes, communities, and schools.

So, guys, what do you think about this situation? Maybe you have experienced something similar and how did you deal with it?

The community members defended the poster in this situation and shared their insights

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