Do you want a “cure”…really?

April is Autism Awareness month. This month I pause to reflect on the impact Autism has had on my life, good, bad, and anything inbetween.

For those who aren’t aware of my family’s situation, I was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome, a mild form of Autism, when I was eight years old. At the time, I really felt like I had no friends. I was just a kid with a very lonely existance. I didn’t mind it all that much; at that point I had determined that the social challenges involving befriending my peers were too confusing for me to deal with. After my diagnosis, I had so much help and support, from teachers, parents, administators, therapists, etc. I’ve come so far, as has my 11 year old brother with autism. My family and I now speak nationally about autism and how people with Autism have unlimited potential provided they have the proper supports.

For those of my friends who don’t know what its like to have a disability of any kind, allow me to paint a perverbial picture for you. I heard this example used at an autism conference back in 2004 (thanks Stephen, hope you dont mind me using this). Imagine you are trying to tell a friend a story. Simple, right? Now imagine theres a certain letter of the alphabet you can not use in telling this story. Makes it more of a challenge. You may have to adjust your wording slightly. Thats what it feels like to be an “Aspie” (person with aspergers syndrome) in a social situation. Its very hard for “Aspies” and other people on the Autism Spectrum to discern the rules and roles of socialization. It’s a challenge that I still face today; it just happens that im better at it with practice.

Let me make something clear (yes this is my first disclaimer on here): I am not a “finished product”. I’m still human, pervebial warts and all. I’ve just learned with practice how to deal with the obstacles in my life, many of which have been given a name, Aspergers Syndrome. I’m still working on improving myself though. All people with autism have the potential to make something of themselves. My goal is to make something of myself by spending my life helping those on the auism spectrum make something of theirs.

Final thought: What do you think when you hear the word Autism? Most people think of it with a negative connotation to it. Theres so much negative stuff in the media about it. I hear all the time, cure autism!!! Yeah, there are some very harsh realities with living with autism. But it can’t be as harsh as someone telling you they want to “cure” you of a part of you. I feel like a mutant, and that some physician whos busy playing God wants to use me as a lab expiriment. People with Autism aren’t mutants; WE ARE PEOPLE. All people are children of God, and he made us all the way we are, even those of us with our quirks. Also, many important historical figures, like Thomas Jefferson and Isaac Newton, are believed to have had Asperger’s. Who would want to cure a disorder that produced some of the most important historical figures of all time? These people changed the world. But imagine if they had been “cured”, their contributions to society might not exist. Food for thought.

What do you think?