Hello, I’m a mom to an Ausome child & I could really use some advice 
Today my kid had a meltdown at the grocery store and while I was doing my best to calm him, I couldn’t ignore the stares and kept hearing the rude comments, especially from older people 

How do you deal with these moments? Do you respond to strangers or just ignore them? Any tips for calming your child AND keeping your cool at the same time?
Hi! I’m also a mom of an autistic kid and those public meltdowns are the worst! Not just for my child but for me, especially with all the sideways glances and unsolicited side comments 
Most of the time I just try to tune out the stares and focus on calming my kid. Sometimes it feels impossible but I remind myself that it’s not about anyone else’s opinion. It’s about helping my child calm down and feel at ease.
When someone’s really rude, I usually say something quick like “Oh he has autism” and I can see their faces shift from judgmental to embarrassed then they usually just walk away after that.
Anyway, pls know that you’re not alone in this. We are all just doing our best. Hugs mom! 