So you know other kids. And?

"Well I know lots of other kids who have ADHD or Autism and they don't act like that."

That is one of the most hurtful statements that someone can say to someone like me, who deals with a severely ADHD child or friends of mine who deal with children on varying levels of the Autism scale.  So you know other kids.  And?  Your point is?  Our point is, you do not know OUR kids.  You do not know MY child.  And I don't know a single other ADHD/ODD/Autism parent whose child hasn't had a public meltdown, so you obviously haven't followed every single one of these children around 24/7.

Hassaan can be the perfect child out in public.  Sweet, engaging, funny.  And that is most of the time.  But then there are those days when it's like he's possessed.  When he screams through the grocery store.  When he has to be removed from a restaurant.  When he thinks it's a good idea to keep hitting and/or biting my hands and arms. And the strangers that see this, some look at me with pity, some look at me with disgust, some look away, and some ignorant people like to make comments.  To them I say two things.  First,  you don't know me, you don't know my child, you don't know our situation, so do you really have enough information to be passing judgement on us?  And secondly, do you really think you're special enough for me to care what you think I should do to/with my child?  Seriously?  The only thing hearing strangers go on about my situation in that moment makes me want to do is, well, it would get me arrested, so instead, I ignore.

Yes, the above statement was sent in my direction yet again today.  I just wish people would realize that just because they claim to know "lots" of people with whatever, it doesn't mean that you know ALL of them throughout the world.  And no two cases are these same.