April was Autism Awareness Month. My kids started the month off by making Autism Awareness t-shirts and sweatshirts for themselves and a few friends. They have worn their shirts every week of the month. I think the shirts give them a voice. It gives them a chance to tell others what it's like being an autistic person's sibling. And sometimes it's hard.
When they were little, it was going to the therapists office several times a week where they had to play in the waiting room when they really wanted to be at the park. It was leaving public places because their brother was having a tantrum and he couldn't calm down. It was not going to certain children's entertainment restaurants because their brother couldn't deal with all the stimulation. It was explaining to friends why their brother was lining up cars or constantly singing or repeating movie lines to himself.
These are just some of the difficulties I noticed, but I'm the mom, so my perspective is different. I wondered what their's looks like. So I decided to ask them. These are some of their responses.
It can be embarrassing. He doesn't act like other kids his age. He asks embarrassing questions loudly in public places. He sometimes does inappropriate things in public not realizing it's inappropriate. He likes to sing loudly in public. And although, he has a great voice, people do stare. He speaks lines from videos out loud and laughs.
It can be frustrating. He gets stuck in behavior patterns and it can take a while to get him to stop, even if you ask him to stop. He wants to win and be first so playing games with him takes work because you have to remind him that it's okay if he loses. His diet is limited so going out to eat can be difficult. He gets used to doing things in a certain way and at a certain time so when things are different, he can get agitated.
But there are some positive things as well.
It teaches patience. Whether they wanted to learn it or not! Each of them tolerate a lot before getting mad. They know that others may not move, think, or grow like they do so they wait when others need time to 'catch up' in some way.
It teaches understanding. They know that when someone acts a certain way, there may be a reason behind the actions even if there are no visible signs. They know it could be a disability of some sort, a difficult family situation, or just a bad day.
Autism and all it entails is a large part of our lives. It has been challenging, especially for my other kids. So my hope is that when you encounter a family with a child with a disability, you offer encouragement, love, and acceptance, especially to the siblings!
