By: Mikelle Leonard
Freshman @ EGHS
+Mikelle Leonard
When you look at someone who has a mental disability, do you see anything different? Do they still have two eyes, ten fingers, one head? Are they different from someone who is considered “normal?” On the outside, no, they really are no different. They still smile when they are happy, and they cry when they are sad. So what makes someone who has autism different from someone who doesn’t?
Any person who battles autism everyday is dealing with a complex developmental disorder of brain function. Autism is known as a spectrum; hence, autism spectrum disorder, or ASD. The spectrum, though, doesn’t necessarily mean how “bad” someone has autism. The spectrum is based on the level of support that the individual needs in social skill deficits and stereotyped behaviors.
When growing up with someone who has autism, as I have, you notice the signs quickly. Sometimes you start to notice they give you little or no eye contact, or maybe they show a lack of interest in peer relationships. It all varies on person to person. But that doesn’t mean we treat them with less respect.
I, personally, grew up with a sibling who has autism. We grew up close, and to this day I love him with all my heart. When I learned he had autism, I was surprised, and yet, deep down, I knew he was different than me. Knowing he has autism didn’t make me treat him any differently. We still fought like any normal sibling bond would. But by the end of the day, he was still my big brother, and I his little sister, and we loved each other like in any other sister and brother relationship.
Growing up was tough. When people found out that I had a brother with ASD, they took things to the extreme. People always imagine someone non-verbal, rocking back and forth, or they picture brilliant individuals free of issues. But in all truth, the reality is somewhere in the middle.
We are so quick to judge someone with a mental disorder, but we never truly know how that affects them on the inside. Telling someone, day after day, that they are not good enough, or smart enough, all of those insults drill into their brain. By the time they go to bed, those insults rack inside their mind over and over again until they think it’s really true.
Most people tend to think that people with autism are not smart. When a kid is told that they are not smart, they give up. What’s the point if you’re not smart, right? Wrong! Give these kids the courage to accomplish their goals. You just might be surprised by what they can do.
What’s the most disturbing stereotype, though, is that people believe there is nothing that can be done to help children on the spectrum. This is false! There are multiple steps that can be taken to help those with ASD. It all starts with you.
Your thoughts and your actions decide how people who live with autism think about their own lives. Yes, their is no cure to autism, and there’s no specific medication for someone with ASD, but you, yourself, can help someone with ASD. From a simple compliment, to helping them personally. ASD is a battle within itself, but you can lift some of it off of their shoulders.
