I'll bet you can remember your first friend. I'll bet your mom can remember the first time you hugged her. Your teachers can provide years of report cards. Your dad can go to sleep knowing you understand his love for you.
These are the little things, the privileges, that so many fail to appreciate.
Autism, as defined by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders, is "a spectrum disorder... a range of complex neurodevelopment disorders, characterized by social impairments, communication difficulties, and restricted, repetitive, and stereotyped patterns of behavior." But, if you know anyone who has been affected by autism, you know it is so much more than that.
The child you made fun of for bringing their stuffed animal to lunch in fifth grade may be autistic. The child who had a tantrum in the grocery line may be autistic. The child who hates to be hugged may be autistic. The child who does not want to leave his father's side may be autistic. Each individual is unique; they have little quirks and characteristics that make them different yet truly special.
One in 68 American children fall somewhere on the autism spectrum. It costs a family $60,000 per year, on average. Roughly 40 percent of children with autism do not speak. It is the fastest growing serious developmental disability in the U.S. and there is no medical detection or cure at this time.
People with autism process information differently. Children can have difficulty speaking, reading, writing and interacting socially with others. Those with autism have the ability to say aloud the things we are all thinking in our heads.
Unfortunately, we have a tendency to judge what we can't comprehend. Society labels those with autism as a “burden,” but it’s a fine line between spreading awareness and avoiding the label. We as outsiders see only glimpses; we don’t truly understand the world of autism; we don’t live it day to day. The pain parents experience having to watch their child suffer; the frustration individuals encounter as they struggle to do even the most basic of things.
Autism can often be referred to as an invisible disability. Every day, these families endure unnoticed difficult times. They deal with financial troubles, behavioral issues and exhaustion, but they never give up. Because for them every little milestone is an achievement.
Friends, family and loved ones affected by autism learn to value the little things in life that are gifts others don’t know. Because the people who don’t know someone with autism take their lives for granted. They take their child’s whine for granted. Their child’s ability to brush their teeth for granted. They take the opportunity to live “normally” for granted.
Autism can be described as seeing the world from a different angle. Those with autism like different things, act in different ways and excel in different areas. But different is OK.
People with autism are some of the most beautiful, brilliant and creative people in the world. They are teachers, doctors, brothers, sisters, lawyers, mothers, fathers. And the amount of joy a child with autism can bring into your life is unimaginable.
Just as much as we try to help those affected by autism learn, we can learn so much more from them. We can learn to accept people for what they are; we can learn to be compassionate; we can learn the meaning of love.
These children didn’t ask for autism; they didn’t ask for an excuse to be treated differently. Having a disability doesn’t make you any less human. Autism is a superpower, because the challenges one day can become accomplishments another.
For these kids, every day is a struggle. It’s a struggle to communicate. A struggle to learn. A struggle to play. It’s a struggle to live.
Everyone can do something; you don’t have to give millions of dollars or fund a research project. You can simply smile at the mother whose child is having a meltdown in the mall, or hold the door for the sister who is wrestling her fighting brother out the door. You never know -- sometimes the smallest things make the biggest difference.
Remember that autism is a part of who they are, but it doesn’t define who they are. People with autism are more than their differences. The need patience, not pity. They’re no less than us. Children with autism are just as beautiful, smart, caring and loved as any “normal” child. They are magical. They are blessed to see the world through lenses most other people will never know.
We have each been created unique and different. April is a time to celebrate those on the spectrum and appreciate all they have to offer.
I am fortunate enough to be part of Alpha Xi Delta, an organization that not only gives back but raises awareness for those affected by autism. April used to be just another month to me, but now it’s so much more.
It’s 30 days to donate. 30 days to educate myself. 30 days to volunteer. 30 days to understand. 30 days to advocate. 30 days to change. 30 days to make a difference. 30 more days to discover a cure.
So to autism today, tomorrow and beyond: Be patient. Be kind. Be loving. Be understanding. Never give in. Never give up.
