Recently I received a suggestion that we don't share enough of the stress involved with raising a child with autism and behavior that impact our lives. There is plenty of stress to be sure. I hope I never gave the impression that there wasn't.
As one example, we tend to dread other kids birthday parties. They just never, ever go well and we often remove him from the situation so that his outbursts or tantrums don't detract from the party other kids should be enjoying. For reasons unknown, Curtis can't handle a group of people singing happy birthday. He'll generally start screaming the moment it happens. He'll protest games and activities associated with the party and lash out at other kids for no reason. It's not that he's jealous another kid is the center of attention, it's that he doesn't understand why you need a party on your birthday. And when Curtis doesn't understand something, he tends to shut down or lash out. He protests these and similar parties entirely.
We know what a birthday party will be like, but any public trip or event is a roll of the dice. His meltdowns in grocery stores, big-box stores, smaller local stores, Radio Shack ( a particularly nasty meltdown), my adult league baseball games, school, the library,  the Children's Museum, etc. are brought on by external factors and impossible to plan against. The people around him often don't know what's going on and you can't explain autism to everyone. I've carried him thrashing and screaming out of stores and homes more times than I can count.
To be honest, there is also a level of stress anytime Curtis talks to someone he doesn't know. His lack of appreciation or understanding for social norms and ques leave a whole lot of possibilities when he speaks. He might ask a woman who comments on his cuteness why she has a mustache. He might ask a man, "how did you get so fat?" He'll point out zits, baldness, anything that could typically make someone feel insecure because he honestly has no idea that he could be bothering or embarrassing someone. He is curious and asking questions. Curtis often laughs in the face of other kids who are hurt or crying because he doesn't  know how to respond to the discomfort of the situation, even though he has been taught. I'm sure you can imagine the looks and responses we might get from other parents when he does this. They think our kid is nuts.
We've considered making him a "He doesn't mean anything by it, he's autistic" t-shirt but then he'd have to wear it everyday. Maybe a hat would work. These situations are stressful, but a majority of the stress we feel has to do with bigger picture items. There was a lot of stress when he was diagnosed with ASD about  what we could have done to cause it. For instance, I was convinced I'd eaten too many processed foods my whole life and had chemically altered sperm. There is a lot more stress thinking about high school, employment, whether or not he will have the tools to live independently. Will there be someone to look after him when we're gone? There is stress in disciplining Curtis because typical forms of discipline often do not work. There is stress in his parents relationship because so much of our time is spent dealing with issues around Curt and his autism and it's difficult for the two of us to step away together for a breather. Typical babysitters are afraid of him and we can't really blame them. There aren't many people we feel comfortable enough to leave him with. Usually one of us is with him while the other steps away for a needed break.
There is stress when we see Curtis looking out on to a busy playground and having no idea how to include himself. Stress worrying about other kids making fun of him, calling him names, or rejecting him out of hand. Stress about his stress that he isn't able to effectively communicate.
Stresses, yes, but we also think our kid is really freaking awesome. And normal is overrated, or something, so we'll take this hand we've been dealt, stresses and all, learn and keep at it. None of the stress changes the fact that we're raising a really great kid, autism or not.

We also crossed 5,000 page views recently so I wanted to say thanks for reading!

Greg, Dad