Mom was told autistic son would end up bagging groceries. Years later, watching him do it changed her perspective
The person was somewhat right, but the mom's perspective changed to a winning one, and it's spectacular.
The immediate thing most parents do after receiving an autism diagnosis for their children is to visualize and prepare for what their lives might look like. A mom and author named Carrie Cariello confessed that she had similar thoughts. In a post shared on January 17, 2026, she recalled a comment at the time of her son, Jack’s autism diagnosis — "Your son might work in a grocery store bagging groceries for the rest of his life.” Initially, they were worrisome words, and as she went through her son’s initial years, she couldn’t help but wonder if the statement was true. After over a decade of his diagnosis, at 21, Jack is indeed an employee at a store working with produce, but what changed is the mom’s perspective, and it’s winning hearts.
Cariello admitted that throughout the years, she often pondered that comment, especially when life was hard, and he couldn’t figure out basic functions. “I thought about them when he couldn't sit for circle time in kindergarten. When he couldn't take the bus home from school safely. When he started middle school, then high school,” the mom remarked. Now that her son is 21 years old, he works in a grocery store, cutting up fruit in the produce department. He has dedicated shifts that he commits to with all his enthusiasm. That’s when it struck the mom — Jack was not behind, he was not losing, in fact, he had come a long way, and without realizing it, her perspective came a long way with him too.
“He sets his alarm. He puts on his uniform. He walks to the bus station. He arrives on time,” Cariello noted. His autism doesn’t define his role; it’s his skill, his ethics, his values, and his hard work…like every other human being. That’s when the most important life lesson struck the mom. “I've learned it's not always about the destination, but how you got there in the first place. I've learned that a life lived differently is not a life less lived,” she wrote. She learned to see her son not through his diagnosis but for his unique strengths and for the respectable man that he is.
She learned to appreciate his effort and his commitment. As she congratulated him for completing four months at his job, she added, “We are fiercely proud of him.” In several other posts, the mom shared how Jack’s diagnosis doesn’t stop him from being his truest self and embracing life. And along with it, his kindness, humility, and uniqueness are teaching his family a great deal. According to data from Autism Speaks, 1 in 31 children has autism in the U.S. This number has increased from previous years. 1 in 45 adults is diagnosed with autism in the U.S. The average age of diagnosis is 5 years.
But their diagnosis doesn’t have to define their lives and future. More than being unable, many are kept away from chasing their dreams because of stereotypes and people who don’t believe in an autistic person’s potential. Only 21% of people with disabilities are employed, and this includes people with autism. The Autism Research Institute revealed that workers with autism show a unique way of stepping up compared to others. In his study, Lorne Hartman asked employees to complete a survey. It revealed that “to the extent that they would act if they saw something wrong, employees with autism were much more likely to intervene.” Compared to neurotypical individuals, those diagnosed are likely to speak up or intervene when something goes wrong, thereby taking responsibility. So for anyone thinking they can’t, they very much can, and they have a commitment that surpasses that of many.
Sarah Jean Burtchell noted, “I'm so hopeful for exactly what you're describing, and it would 100% be a win.” Vonnie Coleman added, “As someone who worked 40 years in a grocery store, let me tell you it’s not an easy job. I commend Jack on his perseverance in finding this job.”
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