Six Things Children With Autism Want You To Know
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I am unique.
If you’ve met one person with autism, you’ve met one person with autism. We’re not all like Rain man, or Sheldon Cooper. Having autism doesn’t make me the same as every other person with autism. See me for who I am.
Just because I don’t speak, it doesn’t mean I have nothing to say.
I don’t have to communicate or interact with words, to have something to say. In fact I usually know exactly what I want to say. The difficulty can be finding a way to express it. Sometimes I communicate in non-verbal ways. For
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example, leading you by the hand or pointing to something.
Just because I don’t speak, it doesn’t mean I can’t hear you.
That’s right, I’m listening. When you talk about me, right in front of me. Just because I’m not looking right at you it doesn’t mean I can’t hear what you’re saying. So be careful what you say. Make sure it’s all good!
I struggle to process sensory information.
I might experience lights, sounds, touch, tastes, smells and balance differently to you. Too much sensory information can
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cause me stress, anxiety or even physical pain. For example, loud noises terrify me and can cause me great distress.
I’m not being difficult, I’m finding things difficult.
When you see me kicking and screaming don’t assume I’m having a tantrum. I’m not naughty or spoilt. What you’re probably seeing is a meltdown. I can get extremely frustrated when I can’t communicate my needs effectively. I might also have an outburst in environments with too much sensory stimuli. Sensory overload can make me feel very anxious very quickly. Try
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to remember that my behaviour is my way of communicating.
Please stop staring.
When you see me running back and forth, flapping my hands, rocking, jumping or spinning. When you hear the noises I like to make. When you see me having a meltdown. You’re going to look at me, and that’s fine. I don’t care anyway. But you don’t need to keep staring. It just makes you look rude and annoys my family.
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Jennifer Flanagan - 22 Feb 18
I am unique.
If you’ve met one person with autism, you’ve met one person with autism. We’re not all like Rain man, or Sheldon Cooper. Having autism doesn’t make me the same as every other person with autism. See me for who I am.
Just because I don’t speak, it doesn’t mean I have nothing to say.
I don’t have to communicate or interact with words, to have something to say. In fact I usually know exactly what I want to say. The difficulty can be finding a way to express it. Sometimes I communicate in non-verbal ways. For example, leading you by the hand or pointing to something.
Just because I don’t speak, it doesn’t mean I can’t hear you.
That’s right, I’m listening. When you talk about me, right in front of me. Just because I’m not looking right at you it doesn’t mean I can’t hear what you’re saying. So be careful what you say. Make sure it’s all good!
I struggle to process sensory information.
I might experience lights, sounds, touch, tastes, smells and balance differently to you. Too much sensory information can cause me stress, anxiety or even physical pain. For example, loud noises terrify me and can cause me great distress.
I’m not being difficult, I’m finding things difficult.
When you see me kicking and screaming don’t assume I’m having a tantrum. I’m not naughty or spoilt. What you’re probably seeing is a meltdown. I can get extremely frustrated when I can’t communicate my needs effectively. I might also have an outburst in environments with too much sensory stimuli. Sensory overload can make me feel very anxious very quickly. Try to remember that my behaviour is my way of communicating.
Please stop staring.
When you see me running back and forth, flapping my hands, rocking, jumping or spinning. When you hear the noises I like to make. When you see me having a meltdown. You’re going to look at me, and that’s fine. I don’t care anyway. But you don’t need to keep staring. It just makes you look rude and annoys my family.
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Jenni is a freelance writer and mum of two. Her youngest son has autism and she is passionate about autism awareness. She hasn't slept since 2008.
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