April, 2025 | Zaynah Ahmed, Grade VI
We are all special in one way or another. It is what makes us human and makes o
ur own unique personality. But spectrums like autism make their ‘special’ a part of them permanently.
Autism affects one out of thirty-six children. Autism is, and I quote; “Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by repetitive, restricted, and inflexible patterns of behavior, interests, and activities, as well as difficulties in social interaction and social communication.”
Autism comes in levels. My sister is at the extreme part of the spectrum. She is nonverbal, which means she has difficulty communicating with others. We teach her phrases that she repeats, like’ What’s your name?’ and then repeats the question and answer.
Many people say that handling kids with autism is ‘easy’, but it’s not. I remember the nights my mother would be worried over my little sister, over her future, over what would happen to her, and
how she would have to live her life. It’s not a walk in the park, especially with autistic meltdowns. It’s when autistic people get overstimulated by the environment, which could include crying, yelling, and hitting.
I remember when my mother was at Hajj and me, my sister and my dad were alone. I would have to take care of her, sleep with her, feed her, and make sure she’s safe. One day, when my father had taken me and my sister to the park and she had an autistic meltdown. She started to sob and cry in the middle of the park. I don’t know what goes on in her mind, but I know she was overwhelmed and she was missing something.
I respect and adore my teacher dearly, seeing her relatives go through all this without even being able to communicate their thoughts with us breaks me. And it hurts seeing how many people overlook this syndrome.
“Autism is not a disease. Don’t try to cure us. Try to understand us,”- Brian R King 