World Autism Awareness Month blog post by Aditya Akella of Akella Tech
A boy referred to Man&Boy has written a powerful blog on his experience of being an older sibling to a child on the Autistic Spectrum - I encourage everyone to read it! I loved this paragraph:
“…Previously, I mentioned how this month is very special to me - well, that's because my own brother is severely Autistic. Hence, I would like to share some of my experiences as a carer. My brother, albeit his ASD, has brought much joy into our family and is an amazing little person. However, this has not been without many challenges - this includes sleepless nights, sudden cancellations in plans and his unpredictable meltdowns with no clear reason. If he is desperate for something, he is not able to voice his concerns and so it comes out as shutdowns and prolonged tantrums. I am fully aware that his condition will continuously throw challenges and difficulties as time goes on, but it has been received with his boundless love and comfort. When people ask me if I ever wished my brother was normal, I always ask them what their definition of 'normal' is. I also tell them that I love my brother the way he is and wouldn't give it up for the world. My brother really enjoys spending time with us when we go for walks in nature and villages.
At times, he can be rather cheeky and bully me into doing things for him; sometimes, however, he just needs a good 'ol hug. In short, his different character traits and nature make this family-loving boy a perfect sibling! In conclusion, Autism is not necessarily a 'bad' condition or disorder - it's just an example of neurodiversity. In fact, there are a lot of things we can learn from them...”
Such a hopeful, caring and honest reflection! Man&Boy joins them to celebrate World Autism Awareness Month! - Paul Ellis, Acting Director on behalf of the Man&Boy Team :)
