Little Miss Different [in editing]

3: The Fashion Show

Content note: contains depictions of ableism

Katie is in the back of the car with Lucie. Her parents, Des and Rin Douglas-Himura, are in the front. The mechanical gates open and Mrs. Himura drives out of them towards the Autism Saviour building five miles away.

There are car rules. No music, just the music the sisters can listen to from their headphones. No stimming. No fidgeting. Just listening to the music while the parents talk to each other about how awful having their children is and why some parents think it's wonderful. Katie wants to know why it's not wonderful for her parents, so she turns off her music.

"Honestly, Desmond, it's just awful. I can't stand the looks I get," moans Rin. "People don't go near Katherine, which Autism Saviour said will help with a 'natural curing process' whilst they find a medicinal one."

That's all Katie needs to hear. She turns her music back on.

Songs drown out Mr. and Mrs. Douglas-Himura's unkind words, but Lucie turns down her own music to listen. "I don't know how the girls will cope, you know," complains Mrs. Himura. "Katherine needs help all the time and Lucinda acts like a three-year-old. A thirteen-year-old should know better! And Katie should know better as well, especially after all that therapy. Thank God for Autism Saviour. At least they're working on a cure."

Lucie turns her music up again. Whenever her parents say things like this it always stresses her out, so she stops listening. She knows it's not true. She knows that it's neither her fault nor Katie's fault.

At the Autism Saviour event

Katie and Lucie climb out of the car and follow behind their parents. The reporters are all wearing blue and there are plenty of people up ahead screaming and yelling. Katie covers her ears, wondering why her parents never let her wear ear defenders in public. "You can't just go around wearing ear defenders, you have to help cure yourself! Autism Saviour can't do all the work for you."

The tag is still there. Her parents wouldn't cut it off and it really hurts the back of Katie's neck. But Mrs. Himura said that Katie can't wriggle in public, and that "the normal children can deal with the tags, Katie, why can't you?".

As soon as the family have made it through the horrendous amount of crowds and into the main building, Katie is assaulted by a mess of multicoloured flashing lights and loud music. Katie knows that her calm teddy, Loppy, is in Desmond's bag. She tries telling him that she needs Loppy, but Mr. Douglas just says, "Stop it, Katherine. Try to deal with it without your self-stimulatory behaviour for once."

Katie is very distressed. It's definitely too loud and too bright and too flashy. She wants Loppy, she wants her ear defenders, she wants to go home.

Elsewhere

Rebecca tries her best to sit still in lessons, but it really is hard. She can't concentrate on things like how to multiply fractions or substitution in algebra. Even though she's in a special education class for maths, her dyscalculia makes it so much harder than it already is. Thank goodness Winter's in the special education maths class too. It makes it so much easier.

Rebecca cautiously raises her hand, trying not to fidget. Her dad hates the fidgeting. She's not allowed to fidget. "Miss, can you explain the substitution again? I still don't get it."

Most of the class moan at the idea they might have to sit through substitution a third time, so Winter says, "It's okay, I'll explain it to Rebecca." Rebecca looks at Winter gratefully.

"That's a nice idea, Winter, but I don't want either of you to fall behind on the rest of the lesson. How about I send a pack explaining substitution to your school e-mail address and you can answer those questions for homework instead of fractions, okay?" suggest the teacher. Rebecca nods and Winter flashes her friend a quick smile.