I am blessed to have an older brother with autism. I have had many wonderful experiences over the years and I am who I am because of growing up with him. I learned to have patience, kindness, and acceptance. Due to his love for Disney movies, I too have learned to love Disney movies. I have learned how to deal with meltdowns and self abusive behavior and abusive behavior towards others. I have been pushed, shoved, and hit, and yet my love is still the same. I have learned how to handle great energy filled days. I have learned so much over the years and have grown in my understanding and abilities.
More recently in my life, I started babysitting a young girl with autism. Though I had an idea of what autism was like growing up with my brother, I now had some new things to learn. With autism, everyone is a little different. Like my brother she loved swinging and jumping on the trampoline, but she didn't love movies the same way; she enjoyed her iPad and coloring. She used a different program on her iPad then the one that I was familiar with. Due to the fact that my brother was so much larger than me, when he had a meltdown, it was safer for me not to be around. Her meltdowns were a little different. When she had a meltdown instead of abusive or self abusive behaviors, she often just cried. When having a meltdown she would climb in my lap and have me squeeze her, or put her feet in my hands for me to squeeze. This was all new to me. Her different manifestation has taught me a lot more about how behaviors can change between individuals.
Having a family member in a wheelchair makes my life much more adventurous. Having a younger cousin in a wheelchair, I have had many fun experiences. Being in a wheelchair has not stopped her from living life the way that she wants to. Some of my best memories with her have been doing things like playing basketball, bowling, and dancing. All of those things are active things and they do not slow her down one bit. Being with her in her wheelchair has also presented some struggles for me. Her wheelchair is much heavier than it looks. Carrying a wheelchair up and down stairs, or lifting it into a car is not that easy. She is heavy. Just because she can climb in and out of her wheelchair most of the time, it does not mean that she can all of the time. Sometimes she needs extra help and needs to be lifted into her chair or onto something else. Being around her isn't a burden, but something I love. It is amazing to see that her chair has not stopped her at all in life, and it is an inspiration to me. I wish I could have just half of her strength and courage.
Family and friends with special needs make me a special person. They teach me to love in a way I did not know I could love. They teach me that I am capable of so much more than I ever thought. They are all capable of so much and take steps toward greater things every single day. I would never ask for anything different in my life.
