My Perspective of Autism

Ever find yourself, wondering if the ringing in your ears will ever stop? Or if it was possible to turn off those brights shining in your eye? Have you ever listened to the radio all the way up with the TV also blaring? I often find myself trying to picture this.

A friend of mine, while in the search of how Wayne is hardwired, explained one moment of life to me from the perspective of one of his friends. He stated that one moment, just one brief moment, is like being sat in a hard cold seat covered with a combination of marbles and tacks, while you have stadium lights shining in your eyes, and two radios on either side of you blaring. Meanwhile, your mom is trying to read you a bedtime story. If this is one moment in the life of an autistic person. Imagine what all those moments combined are like.

I was introduced to the autistic world when Wayne was 6. Please note that in this post and the posts to come, I speak of autism and autistic people putting autism first. The reason for this is Autism is not a disease or a disability, it is a way of life and a way people perceive the world around them. By saying a person with autism, I feel that I am giving into the myth that this is something that has disabled my child, and I want a cure for it. I do not want a cure for autism, because there is not a second in the day that I want to change how Wayne thinks. However, I do want life to be as easy for him as it is for me, I do want other people to be aware of how he and others think and be tolerant of him, I do want him to have the same opportunities as others. Now, I understand that there is a spectrum, and I fortunately am experience the part of the spectrum that is high functioning. However, I am not sure if he was non verbal, that I would want a cure. I would want a way to help him find his voice.

I felt it necessary to first let the world understand that what is written in the posts for the month of April are my opinion and my facts based off our life. They are not based off any organization or research. Although, I have done my own research, I do not think that how I did things, or what I am doing is the cure for all. I fully recognize, that I am raising one Autistic Person. There are millions of other autistic people who have different experiences. Please, do your own research, and find what works for your family. Also please, if you do not know of autism, educate yourself, and take the time to get to know these people who love life and want to find away to share how they feel with others.