If you were to meet my brother for the first time, you wouldn't suspect anything irregular or odd about him. He's just an average 15-year-old boy excited to start his sophomore year of high school. He loves to cook, browse through social media and watch videos on YouTube. He stands at 5-foot-7 tall and has a penchant for picking out the perfect fashionable outfit -- and in his words he just "wants to look good." I mean, who wouldn't? In every way, he is normal. I treat him no different than anyone else and we have regular conversations with him from day to day. We vent to each other, we watch "Kitchen Nightmares" and we fold laundry together. What can I say? My brother is my best friend.
Though, things are much more simpler than they used to be, there are still often times that are challenging. Now, for those who don't already know what autism is, it is a disorder of brain development and its severity varies from person to person and can be defined through a spectrum. With this, my brother has a hard time comprehending what certain things mean such as a moral of a story, social mannerisms or learning different forms of personal expression. When it's hard for him to understand, it's even harder to explain these things to him. We both face these frustrations. Not knowing what's inside his head is always a mystery, and I could only assume he feels left out when he doesn't know what's going on. The misunderstandings and outbursts of emotion are struggles for him, and as family, it's always hard to watch. Patience on both our ends is crucial even though it may not always be easy to have.
Aside from the frustrating parts, there are positive aspects that come from his condition. When my brother commits to something, he really commits. He is 100 percent all in or 100 percent all out. He makes up his mind and for the most part, knows what he wants and needs. My brother is smart, determined and impressive. In his first year of high school, he was on honor roll. He's a dedicated student who finished his homework right after school, studies for finals for hours and takes pride in his work. There's no way I could've ever lived up to him when I was in high school! Nevertheless, I have the greater fortune to watch my brother grow up and become the person who he is today.
Like I said earlier, my brother is a normal kid. He fights with me like a younger brother should, he does all his chores, he's impressively responsible (possibly more than me), and just like any other kid, he wants to fit in. Yes, my brother is different in the case that he has autism, but he really is no different than anyone else. And being his sister, it puts me in constant defense mode. I will do anything and everything to protect my brother from any one who doesn't treat him with the respect he deserves. I've already been a nosy sister looking through his Instagram only to find someone mocking him on a video he put up (I gladly called them out on it).
One of the greatest things about my brother being my brother is that I get to learn from him just like he learns from me. When both learn things from each other, we have a bond that can never be broken. He confides in me and I confide in him. He's my one and only sibling, and I wouldn't trade him for the world.
