Dealing with autism / Asperger's Syndrome: This mother got it right... And that makes me happy!
On navigating meltdowns when your child has autism. http://t.co/qd0iACmx9R #JDAM15 pic.twitter.com/VFtW3kjYbx
— Kveller (@Kveller) February 5, 2015
Growing up, I knew I was a little different from others. I didn't always react or respond as I was expected to. I didn't always understand sarcasm or social cues or say the right thing. I preferred reading to group sports, didn't like being touched by strangers, would insult people without noticing they were insulted, loved learning but hated school, was (and am) pretty much obsessed with Star Trek, loved learning about people and society but sometimes had trouble understanding others...
Today I understand that I wasn't strange or dumb or weird or unsocial or unfriendly or awkward or stupid or silly or anything of the sort. I was simply me, simply being true to myself, simply too young and innocent to understand that all people are special, individual, unique and amazing. I was too young to understand that in the world we live in, we are expected to behave a certain way and that those who don't are often ridiculed and teased, called strange or silly or stupid.
Why are we, as humans, so quick to label people as strange, weird, other? Why are we so quick to judge others when they don't say or do what we think they should? Why is it so hard for us to accept that all people are different and unique and special? And really - why do we care so much about the way other people behave in social situations? I walk, I talk, I think, I love, I cry, I dream, I wonder, I explore... I am as human as any other human, as female as any other female, as alive as any other living being. What gives anyone the right to call me different, to tease me or treat me as less?
Personally, I'd love to live in a world that doesn't judge others based on social interactions alone. I am smart, I am good at remembering things, I see patterns and connections, I love solving problems, I am good at explaining, I am honest and open, I am loyal, I am good with computers and technology, I am a fast learner, I am a good actor, I am a caring teacher, I am fluent in two languages and can read several others, I am good with animals, I love trivia, I am a decent photographer, I am good at organising and planning, I love my family and friends...
Sometimes reading about autism and Asperger's Syndrome feels like people spend too much time talking about us and not enough time talking to us. It can feel like people want to change who we are instead of figuring out how to let us live our own lives as we want to and as works for us. We don't ask blue-eyed people to wear brown contacts, we don't ask redheads to dye their hair a different colour, we don't expect people across the world to speak the same language we do or or to have the same hobbies as us - we understand that all people are different and unique. Why can't we understand that about those with autism as well? Thankfully some do, such as the mother who wrote the amazing article I've linked to at the top of this post, as well as those who support her and her family.
