How Autism Affects Me

By: Olivia, 10 yrs old
Having a sibling with autism can be hard sometimes. I have a 4-year-old sister named Haylee with autism. She can’t do things as well as other kids her age can.
Haylee has therapists that help her to learn. When I come home from school, a lot of times there will be a therapist helping her. I don’t mind! I just know that they are helping making it possible for me and my family to be able to talk and do other things with my sister someday.
Sometimes other children think that it’s funny that she can’t do as many things other kids can or that she makes noises that you wouldn’t usually hear from a 4-year-old. I have to stick up for Haylee. She is just different than most kids and that is OK because everyone is different.
Haylee loves to play. One of her talents is wearing me and my family out!!! She loves to run around and then you have to chase her. She LOVES to swing as well!!! If you were to push her for a day, she would swing for a day. If you where to push her for a week, she would swing for a week!
She also loves school. She goes to the same school that me and my brother do. My brother and I ride with her on the special education bus because we don’t want her to be alone.
One of Haylee’s favorite things is her iPad. She goes where the iPad goes! It can be hard to take it away sometimes. Sometimes she gets special privileges with it. I know that it can sometimes seem unfair, but we can do things that she can’t or isn’t allowed to do.
Autism has different effects on everyone who has it. We don’t know why Haylee has Autism; we just know that everyone is special and unique in their own little way.

Shayleen
Fairfield, OH