Last May we had an opportunity to participate in a Taiwanese documentary about multicultural differences regarding disability rights related to accessibility, education, and sex. I’ll admit, some of their questions on sexual rights caught me off guard.

I had no idea that other countries provided sex as a service to people with disabilities. They wanted to know if it was a legal option, would I request this service for Benjamin. The good Catholic school girl in me first told them, “Parents in the US don’t like to talk about sex.” But they weren’t buying it. After a deep breath, I thought about the concept of Maslow’s Hierarchy and explained that our top priority is meeting Benjamin’s health needs. Sex just isn’t on our radar.

Later, with my permission, the crew interviewed Sebastian and asked him if he was interested in dating. While I sat on the sideline, more than a tad terrified about what my teenage son might say, Sebastian easily answered, “Yes, but I know it takes a long time to fall in love and get married.”

I love that my autistic son was the one to put the emphasis on building relationships. Plus, he made a super awkward situation comfortable.

I hope to see the whole film in the near future, but for now I’m excited to share this clip highlighting a much more comfortable subject. In case I haven’t cued this up properly, skip to 1:58.