I just recently found out that my little sister may be autistic, and it is terrifying. Let me preface this by saying that I do not have any problems or prejudice against anyone who is not neurotypical, but it is scary when it is someone in your own family, a sibling, a child, a parent, or any other family member isn't able to do things the same way you are because they don't have the same processing or physical capabilities as you. It is a whole new world of personal, individual, specific challenges. To set the stage, my 8-year-old sister, Amy, has always had some sensory issues, issues with tastes, textures, problems with tags, wearing clothes and shoes backwards or inside out, or both, among other symptoms that when combined usually are markers for autism. She had been going to the same primary care doctor for the first 7 years of her life, but when she switched doctors and they did the typical new patient exam, they recommended that we go to MUSC to have her tested. This is absolutely terrifying to me because this amazing, funny, creative, jack-of-all-trades little girl is breaking down in tears because she doesn't want to go school because she doesn't know why the letters and numbers aren't in the right order for her, or why her outfits don't feel right when mom helps her get dressed. She is going to get tested in October and we just want to know how we can help this little girl want to learn and be curious about the world the way she used to be. She has an undiagnosed learning disorder at the least and potentially something so much scarier and more difficult to help her through and help her with. When we look at verses like Jeremiah 29:11 [For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope ESV] and Psalms 139:14[I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works, my soul knows it very well. ESV], we think of all the good things that God is doing, and not always how He can and will use the things that are hard. But God is greater than our unknowns and our scary situations, He's bigger than the things that can set us back and make us or the people we love must work harder or longer to get to the same places. All said, we just want answers, either way we love this little girl, there is nothing that we wouldn't do for her to make her life better.