Family Events

How are you handling big family events? I recently attended an out of town wedding for a relative and took my ASD 4 year old. The bride adores my child and has a close relationship with us. Some of our senior relatives (who I love dearly) were hurt and visibly disappointed when my child was resistant to hugs and not answering their questions. They know my child has autism, but don’t really understand what it means and I’m tired of explaining. Some are saying that my child doesn’t like them or telling my child to be nice (I want scream that my child is nice). These relatives are really wonderful though were great to me when I was a child and when became a mother. Any advice for how to handle these family events and help me, my child, and our relatives feel more comfortable? The teens and young adults get well with my little one. It’s the older folks that are having difficulty connecting.