Autism spectrum disorder (ASD), one of the most misunderstood diagnoses in the world today, is a mental condition referring to the wide range of social difficulties that many people of all ages face. Common symptoms include habitual physical behaviors or “tics,” hardships in communicating with others, repetitive speech, and a lack of emotional expressiveness.
You may, like me, have a sibling with autism. If your sibling has just been diagnosed with ASD, chances are you’ll learn all of these through experience over the years, but it’s good to keep them in mind now as well. (Note that all people’s cases with autism are very different. This just happens to be my story, but most of these will be true regardless of the specific manifestations of autism that your sibling exhibits.)
1It isn’t easy.
Having a sibling with autism can take a toll on you physically, mentally, and emotionally. Whether your ears are ringing due to your sibling’s tantrum or you’re trying in vain to get them to explain why they’re sad, there will be times when things are less than wonderful. However, you’ll learn that things are probably just as hard (if not harder) for them – and how important your role as their sibling is to their development.
