Every year there are more children being diagnosed with Autism. According to www.medcinenet.com: “Autism is a developmental disorder that is characterized by impaired development in communication, social interaction, and behavior.” Autism is also known as Pervasive Developmental Disorder. One in every 160 children are born with some form of Autism. Although there are many forms of Autism, one of the more common forms is called Aspergers syndrome. Aspergers normally takes the form of a regular child, but has a more intellectual capability then other children. Along with the intellect, the child may suffer from lack of social skills and would not understand why. My younger brother, Sam, was diagnosed with Aspergers when he was around ten, which is the average age for them to be diagnosed.
When Sam was diagnosed he showed all the typical symptoms of Aspergers. Since Sam does not pick up on the daily routine, he has to be taught everything that a normal person gets by watching others. He is hyper sensitive and lives in his own world inside of our world. He has very little motor skills and he also cannot get some body language. Sam suffers from severe anxiety and depression.
I was five when Sam was born, and it completely changed my life. As he and I grew up, I was a very slow learner, and he was like a sponge and remembered everything he read. Whenever we played games; if he would lose, he exploded into a temper tantrum. I would always try to get my way, just as a normal child at that time would, but when my parents told me to back off, and I had to learn a very hard life lesson at around age nine. I soon turned into a protective older sister who only wanted him to succeed, but when I pushed him too far, I knew there was something wrong. A few years later we learned he had a form of Autism. I was scared for him as well as for my family and myself.
Sam and I have gone from a hatred and abusive relationship to a loveable and open one. If I ever have a question, I can always count on Sam to answer it for me. I know that I don’t have a normal brother, but I do not care because in my eyes he’s perfect. This is just the beginning of his life and I hope I can always be by his side to catch him if he falls. He’s always been there for me and comforted me. Sam is my hero, and even though he is my younger brother, he will always be number one to me.
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