Top 5 things that someone with autism wants you to know about autism.
Keep in mind that I never speak for everyone. Everyone is different and would say things differently. What would you say to someone about autism? Feel free to share. Here are five things that someone with autism would want you to know about autism.
- “I can help you. Can you help me?”
A lot of people with autism, myself included, welcome any kind of help. Sometimes they say they don’t need help but in reality, they truly do. Why refuse help? Most likely because of the fear of being embarrassed and asking for assistance can be a sign of weakness; Not true by the way. Everyone asks for help every so often; Even the smartest people on Earth ask for help. It’s okay to ask the person with autism if he or she needs any help. It is the job of that person with autism to say yes and receive the offer for help. Once there is that connection, breakthroughs are bound to happen. People can help others who have autism and it can be the other way around. Those who have autism really do want to help out. Whatever it may be, the majority want to show their support for the community of any kind.
- “I have so much to say, I haven’t figured out how to express it properly yet.”
Words are hard. Speaking is hard. I almost always have trouble with it; Especially when I was younger. Not going to get into it all because the moments were so embarrassing. I just want to hide from the world whenever they unintentionally come to my mind without warning. Even before writing books, I was a terrible writer; For phone stuff and computer social media stuff. True fact! Not going back to those moments again. Getting ahead of myself. The main point is that even though speaking can be incredibly difficult, there is much to say. Think of it like this. So much to say but prefer to stay silent to avoid miserable embarrassments. I learned it the hard way. The advice that I can give is constant practice with family members and teachers before peers; I wish I knew that before otherwise I would have kept friends at school. Because there is so much to say and difficult to express it properly, it does not hurt to find a different outlet other than speaking or even writing. It can be drawing, video editing, woodworking, game development, or much more! Which brings us to the next quote of the list.
- “My skills are on other things, just not on the social part unfortunately.”
Tons of potential, difficult to express. I have always said that just about anything can be extremely difficult but never impossible to accomplish. The social part can be hard and need extra work, but anything else other than talking can be incredibly easy! Whatever it may be. Math, science, architecture, animation, gardening, and among other things that require a strong amount of talent and skill. I knew a guy that was extremely socially awkward but a genius A++ in algebra back in high school. The other classmates took notice of it too and it came to a point where the social awkwardness didn’t really matter to anyone; we saw it as just a quirk. It is the talent we paid much more attention to and saw it as a strength and opportunity for a thriving future in mathematics. I am never the kind of person that forces acceptance or demands friendships for everyone. They are personal choices for everyone; In the workforce, I believe it is a priority to hire for the talent; and people with autism are all incredibly talented. Time to scout for them.
- “Everything is terrifying and simultaneously exciting!”
It is a complicated relationship towards the new. Don’t want the new experience and yet feel like they need it so bad. It is amazing to see so many children with autism that are willing to take the risk and go watch a noisy parade or go to a chaotic sporting event; Then there are those that choose to play it safe and not go to somewhere fun like an arcade. Whatever side chosen, risk or safety, they are both equally okay. It is all in the balance. If they don’t feel ready, it is okay to say something about it. If they want to give it a try, go for it! Whatever happens happens. Did the day work out or did it not? Experiences of any kind are both terrifying and exciting. No matter how big or small they all are. I haven’t met anyone yet that gets excited by the smaller things except maybe for me, but I have always enjoyed that concept so much. Smaller the accomplishment of experience, the more satisfying and bigger the reward is. Like discovering new things for video editing for example. Even though it will hurt to try, it is important to take them all head on.
- “Treat me like everyone else, and I will learn how to socialize by example from you.”
That is the secret in my opinion. Never play it easy or any different. Just be yourself towards others with autism. Reason why it is so important is not just for the sake of equality, no, that would be way too easy to answer. The reason why is because through example, the social skills get better and better. Learning by example is one of the best ways to to improve on just about anything, especially in social situations. The fearless welcome the challenge even when they fail hundreds of times, there is the mentality of never giving up until they succeed once.
What are your five? What do you want people to know about others with autism?