Written by Brittany Inglis, one of our amazing teen bloggers.
Have you ever wondered what it would feel like to walk into a room and physically cringe because the lights are blinding you to the point where it is painful, and the noise is ear splitting? Or to not be able to understand why someone is crying, and therefore be unable to show empathy? Or to absolutely detest physical contact, even a simple handshake?
I ponder over these thoughts every day.
When I was fourteen, I read a book that changed my life, especially my view of the world. ‘House Rules’ by Jodi Picoult depicted an eighteen year old boy who attended a normal high school, had a younger brother, lived with his mother, and also lived with autism. It gave me some insight into the life of someone with autism and what each day could entail.
Autism is a condition that runs along a spectrum. It is a developmental disorder that impairs someone’s ability to communicate and interact, and may also cause them to exhibit restricted or repetitive behaviours. Thousands of people live with autism for their entire lives, as there is no cure.
In almost every Australian school, there is at least one student who has autism. School is one of the biggest struggles for a person with autism, but why? At school, they have to interact with people constantly, and be in certain situations they would never wish to be in.
As there is no cure for autism, therapy is the most popular type of treatment. Therapists help to teach people with autism how to read social cues and how to ‘fit into’ society. Still, I see students with autism at my school who have no help and struggle through each day. It is my dream to help put an end to, or at least ease, the struggle children with autism face these five days a week. School is already hard enough for the students who can read social cues, interact, communicate, and display behaviours society wants to see. Imagine trying to attend school when not all of these qualities come naturally to you.
Autism is not a bad thing and it should never be frowned upon. It is a part of people’s personalities. People with autism do not need to be changed or shaped into someone they are not, but they can be assisted in understanding society, which can help them feel a greater sense of belonging to their community. Not everyone needs or wants this help, but I would love to be the person to give the support to those who want it.