When Your Kid’s Superpower Looks Different Than the Neighbor’s
Picture this: Friday night spaghetti, everyone’s laughing, and suddenly your five-year-old lines the noodles up by length—silent, laser-focused, oblivious to the sauce dripping off the table. Half the family thinks it’s quirky-cute, Grandma whispers “Is that normal?” and you’re stuck between pride, worry, and hoping the dog cleans the mess before anyone slips.
Welcome to parenting in 2025, where “normal” is officially retired and every child comes with a custom settings menu. The latest CDC snapshot says 1 in 31 kids are on the autism spectrum, but the bigger headline is this: every kid is wired wonderfully, differently, and on purpose. Dr. Kathy Koch calls it being made “on purpose, with a purpose, for a purpose,” a reflection of God’s creativity, not a glitch in His code.
Why “Different” Is a Love Letter, Not a Label
Labels can help us find services, but they should never fence kids in. Think of a label like a sticky note on your laptop: useful in the moment, not meant to cover the screen forever. When we swap labels for listening—really watching how a child thinks, moves, and engages—we discover strengths hiding in plain sight:
A toddler who spends hours spinning blocks could become the detail-driven architect who prevents bridges from collapsing.
The tween who won’t make eye contact might write stories that make strangers weep.
The teen who paces while memorizing chemistry terms may crack the formula nobody else noticed.
See the pattern? The trait that looks “odd” today often grows into tomorrow’s gift. Our job is to stay curious long enough to find the treasure.
Three Pocket-Size Steps for This Week
Spot the Spark. Spend one meal silently observing your child’s favorite way to interact—sorting food, humming, debating Marvel timelines. Jot it down after bedtime.
Name the Good. Before lights out, describe what you loved seeing: “I noticed how carefully you lined up those noodles. That tells me you’re precise!”
Invite a Remix. Ask, “How could we use that superpower tomorrow?” Maybe they arrange grocery items by color or design the family’s weekend playlist.
Small, spoken affirmations beat grand, once-a-year speeches every time.
Plugging Into the 8 Great Smarts
Dr. Kathy’s smarts give us eight highways into a child’s heart. Choose the ones that fit your crew—or try a new route just for fun:
Word-Smart: Read a picture book featuring neurodiverse heroes and discuss the characters’ unique gifts.
Logic-Smart: Turn diagnosis stats into a simple graph together; ask, “What does this tell us about God’s creativity?”
Picture-Smart: Let kids draw a “brain rainbow” showing how classmates think differently.
Music-Smart: Create a playlist where each song celebrates individuality (“This Is Me,” anyone?).
Body-Smart: Build an obstacle course that requires each sibling’s unique skill to finish.
Nature-Smart: Compare diverse plant shapes in the yard; link biodiversity to human differences.
People-Smart: Role-play introducing a new friend who thinks differently—practice kind questions.
Self-Smart: Offer a quiet journal prompt: “Something unique about me is…” and celebrate their answers.
Remember: Today, the anthem is richer: “You already are something extraordinary—let’s find it together.” When we trade fear for fascination, labels for love, and comparison for curiosity, we raise kids who celebrate the mosaic God designed. Pass the spaghetti…and maybe an extra sticky note for the next dazzling discovery.