When I was 10, I received the terrible news: My mother was pregnant with another boy. After years of hoping and praying for a sister, I was disappointed for the second time by the announcement that it was, in fact, a boy. But, after he was born, I instantly loved my little brother, Nicholas.
As Nick grew, we began to notice little behaviors - or lack thereof - about him that seemed off. He didn't talk at all, months after he should have. He didn't crawl at all. He hardly ever made eye contact or responded to his name. Concerned, my mother and stepfather had him evaluated and Nick was enrolled in an Early Intervention program. This program is designed to help infants younger than age three who are struggling to meet age-appropriate milestones. However, by age 3, it was obvious to both the EI workers and our family: Nick had autism.
Autism is a developmental disorder that affects a person's ability to communicate. People with autism are NOT less intelligent. In fact, many are highly skilled at specific areas, also known as "savants." Autism affects the social aspects of a person's life. People with autism struggle to understand social cues, emotions, unspoken rules, etc. For example, Nick does not always remember to say "please" and "thank you." He often makes bathroom jokes at inappropriate times (because every 11 year-old laughs at farting noises, but most know not to make them during a school test), and he cannot tell when someone is being sarcastic. Also, people with autism tend to be very rigid about sticking to schedules and get a lot of anxiety when they have to change plans.
I have learned a lot from Nick, but the biggest thing that I have learned from him is acceptance. When I was young, I had a boy in my class who I now realize had autism. I remember thinking he was so weird. He sometimes talked in a strange voice, or said weird things. He liked to play with toys that I thought were immature. He was always yelling out in class. To be honest, I was scared of him because he was different.
But, now that I have Nick, I realize that though I was young and I had no idea who that boy was, or why he was acting that way, I was wrong to judge him. People with autism DO act differently. But they are so much more than their differences. Yes, Nick does sometimes say or do things that are seen by society as different or weird. But, he is also the sweetest, silliest, most intelligent 12 year-old I know. He loves to play with race cars, is obsessed with The Beatles, and is amazing at video games. He likes to watch Harry Potter movies with me and gets A's and B's in school. He even knows how to film, edit and create DVDs. He is much more than the "weird kid" people take him for and I am so thankful for everything he has taught me.
So, next time you see someone acting "differently," take a second to ask yourself: Who might that person be? Try to stop yourself from making snap judgements, because they might just be as amazing as Nick is.
