What Autism Means To Me: A Personal Story

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My Personal Story With Autism

When I was younger doctors and teachers told my parents a long list of things I cannot do because I am Autistic.  My parents helped me in every which way they could.

They got me speech therapy, occupational therapy, and something else which I forget the name of.  One thing that teachers told my parents was that I wouldn’t be able to read higher than a second-grade level.

I interacted little with kids my own age back then because I felt alienated from the other students.  Also, I did not know how to socially interact well with others.

My parents and my school enrolled me in a social support group to help me interact with others better.  However, they sure had a funny way of showing that the support group was there to help me.

They took me out of class randomly which annoyed me to no end because people on the Autism Spectrum like their routines and schedules.  

Looking back at it now, I would love to ask that social support group how am I supposed to interact with students my age, if you keep taking me out of class?

Throughout my time in public schools, I got bullied a lot.  I am not sure why maybe it was because I was nearly obese for my age group back then?  Or perhaps it was because I am Autistic?  Either way, I hated school back then.

It started in 3rd grade and ended in 11th grade.  I went through a long battle of depression and anger.  In 11th grade, I stood up to the bullies after losing 30 pounds with P90X.  

After high school, I took 3 years off to figure out what I was going to do.  I had different odd jobs then I decided I wanted to go to college.  So I enrolled in my community college.  

College has been challenging for me because colleges are not set up to accommodate people with different learning styles.  After 5 major changes in college, I majored in media studies.

So one day I can pay it forward to the next generation of students who have different learning styles.  That’s why I moved forward in my career as an Autism advocate and motivational speaker.

The reason I shared with you a glimpse of my life on the Autism Spectrum is that I wanted to bring hope to people.  We can have a life of our own even if we learn differently at our own pace.

 Life is a challenge for everyone but it's a little more challenging for us because society wants to change us.  That’s one of the reasons why the Autism community no longer tolerates or listens to Autism Speaks.

For so long they wanted to “cure Autism” for some reason which still bothers me.  Autism is not a disease, it is a different way of life. I wouldn’t be who I am if I was not Autistic.

Growing up my parents, friends, and extended members of my family never told me I was Autistic.  They loved me for who I am.  I got in trouble for many things as a kid.

But let's be honest we all got into trouble when we were kids.  To be honest with all of you, I didn’t know that I was Autistic until 11th grade when I went to my own Individual Educational Plan (IEP) meeting.  

I am grateful to my friends, family members, and extended family for not treating me differently.  I don’t know how I would feel or react back then if someone told me I am Autistic.  I am glad I found out on my own.

The challenges I've Faced 

• I was bullied

• Some people did not want to be my friend

• People excluded me from certain things

• Some teachers and doctors placed limitations on me even before I started learning

• I live with spinal stenosis every day

• My knees point inward which makes me more prone to injuries

What Are The Positives Of Living With Autism

• We pay attention to small detail

• Honesty is our best policy

• We are very punctual

• We love to learn visually 

• We have great imaginations

• Our brains can memorize and hold information longer

• We are always figuring out alternative solutions to our problems

• We rely on our schedules and routines

Related: the benefits of special interests in autism - spectrumnews

What Are The Negatives Of Living With Autism?

There are many problems with having Autism like:

• It’s hard to make friends

• Reading facial cues can be very hard for us

• Society is not very welcoming towards us (but getting there)

• Some people and organizations want us to be “cured” for some reason

• Some people think having Autism is the end of the world.  It’s not, we can still have a meaningful life

• When we are diagnosed with being on the Autism Spectrum an unfair list of cannot’s are placed upon us

• People sometimes have to repeat answers to our questions in 100+ different ways in order for us to understand

• College is not always an option for us

Related: Autism complications - Healthline