Hi everyone! I decided to switch things up this week by answering any questions that you may have about what it is like living with Autism. Here are my responses to anyone who asked me about living with Autism:
Samantha S: When did you learn that you have Autism? Did learning about living with Autism help you better understand why you reacted or did things differently from your classmates?
I learned about living with Autism when I was in 6th grade. I will be honest, I was not really aware how different I am until I was pointed out about it one day. It was one day during 6th grade, and I was at a family friend’s house. My family, my family friend, and I were all watching a documentary movie. The documentary movie was about a well- known person with Autism name Temple Grandin. As I watched the movie, I was fascinated to witness how much Temple progressed in her life. After watching the movie, my parents explained to me that there are some things Temple displayed that I demonstrate too. For example, Temple didn’t like hugs because she was sensitive by touch; My parents shared with me that I am the same way with hugs, due to being sensitive by touch. I was shocked and fascinated at the same time. I didn’t realize how much my life was different than from the rest of my family. Plus, I learned I am known to surprise people, especially when it comes to growth and progression in my life. Ever since, I read many of Temple Grandin’s books to learn more about Autism myself.
As you can see, learning about living with Autism has helped me understand myself more as a person. I learned I am unique in my own way in the world. Also, I learned that there are some things that people do not understand as to why I think or react differently to things. For example, I always had a hard time understanding jokes, so I do not laugh when everyone else laughs. I apologize to everyone I know if this has happened. In my mind, I think its literal, so I take it seriously, even though you may think it is funny or not true. I would laugh if I am able to relate to it though. Otherwise, I won’t laugh at your joke. Social situations in general, like this example that I provided, does not come naturally for me. For me, it takes applying into situations and learning from those experiences to know what is funny or not, good or bad, and etc. The more experiences and social situations I’ve gone through, the more it has helped me understand about people who are not like me and about myself.
These were some really great questions! If anyone else has any other questions, please reach out to me. I would love to provide some insight into the world of living with Autism. Let’s continue to educate about Autism and spread Autism awareness!
The World of Autism 