The family I know with the biological father that did time for a felony is not in the least dysfunctional. Mom stays home with child while dad works his butt off to provide for them.
No dysfunction there, other than some depression and anxiety in all of us, because we realize that their 6 year old (my GS) will end up in a group home sooner, rather than later. He is non-verbal so he won’t even be able to tell us if he is being abused.
So yes, in your mind, we may be a dysfunctional family.
Your son committed a felony and he isn't married to the woman you called your d-i-l ?
Yes, if your grandson is THAT severely Autistic, he shouldn't be taken to the zoo nor to any other place with large crowds of strangers and lots of noise; he no doubt couldn't handle it.
I don't mean to be nosy, but you opened up about this....
Does the boy have other disabilities besides the Autism? When it it THAT bad, there are usually, though not always, other mental and/or physical problems too; sadly.