Maybe you missed the part where my daughter is global developmental delay/high functioning autistic. I know I've mentioned it before.
No, I know that. You've mentioned it.
I have a better than average understanding how easily she could be taken advantage of; I know how easily I was manipulated when I was younger, and I know she will be much more gullible for many more years to come than I was. I am doing all I know how to prepare her for life anyways, but I will still watch out for her, and I hope that when I'm gone her big brother will continue to do so in my place.
She is gonna need it; every aspect of her life is going to take that much longer to develop than it does for the rest of us.
If I explain from which angle I'm coming, it might be clearer, even if it's not something you agree even partially with:
Our eldest is a prime example Aspie, with Tourettes strains and ADD. We of course realised that something was different quite early, but it wasn't diagnosed until he was 15. Instead we pushed him and his abilities. And he held together, with a lot of work from our and his side.
Hence my belief in careful challenges.
I don't think we're that much apart as it might seem, but you framed your protection in that highschool romance movie angry dad style that I'm certain will just make things worse.