Ask Teh Internets: Those Meddling In laws

I recently received an email from a reader asking for my assvice.

Assvice? From me? I never know what to do! I'm usually the one seeking the assvice.

So as I was saying, I received an email from a reader wanting to know how to handle her Mother-in-law. Here's the situation in a nutshell...

Her 4-year-old daughter is shy in large gatherings and social situations, but is talkative and social in smaller groups.

The grandfather spooked this little girl and now she is afraid of him.

The grandmother mentioned to this mom that they think she has symptoms of autism because of her social skills.

Mom didn't have time to respond, but knows she needs to say something. She doesn't have a great relationship with her in laws and would like to know what to say when it comes up again.

Since I run screaming from conflict and confrontation like a big ol' sissy and I have fabulous in laws, I didn't really know what to tell her. You all have offered me some of the best advice (like when the women at Story Time tick me off, or when I needed to know the nice way to say f*ck off to pesky, rotten strangers when Ella was a newborn).

How should this mom respond to her MIL's assertion that the daughter has signs of autism? What would you say?

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I'd be happy to make this "Ask Teh Internets" a feature on my blog if anyone else would like advice/assvice about something with which you are having a problem and you don't want to post about it on your own blog. Just email me the details of the situation and I'll post your story here. You can be anonymous if you'd like or I'll link to your blog if you would prefer that.