What is Autism? I get that question a lot when I tell someone that my brother has autism. Having a brother with a disability can be very wonderful at times, and at others not so much. You learn to deal with whatever comes your way. Today I will talk about how it can be Magnificent and not so Magnificent with a brother who has Autism.

To address the question I stated at the beginning of the story, I should explain what Autism is, autism according to the Autism Speaks Page, “A condition in which you have difficulty in Communicating and making connections and relationships with other people” (LINK). Also, Autistic people have trouble using language to express how they feel about things. If you use sarcasm and joke about things while talking to them, they might not know what you mean or if you are actually joking. Which means you have to be careful about what you say around them. There are many different Variations of this syndrome. Some Types are more severe than other types. This is what autism is. It is not a bad thing, it is just different.

Some people don’t understand what Autism is so they make fun of people who actually do have it. I think that if people would just take the time to learn about what Autism is they would not be so quick to judge. A Perk of being an older sister who has a sibling with Autism, is that I think I am a lot more open minded, and can understand different types of people better than some people can. Another bonus would be that once you get to know a person with autism, they will tell you if you’re being annoying or something like that. I think of this as an advantage because you can become a better person. When you take the time to get to know someone like my brother, they just brighten your day when you get to see them; even if they are in a bad mood. Being an older Sister or brother in general is an amazing thing, because you get to teach things to your younger siblings.

Being an older sister or brother can also be difficult. When a sibling of yours has autism it can be even more challenging. You have to learn a lot of patience. Think about a time when a sibling or little cousin or someone along those lines has thrown a tantrum. It is a lot easier to calm them down than it would be if you have a sibling with autism like me with my brother. If you get agitated with them it will just make them even more Agitated with you and just goes around in a loop. Being a sibling to someone who has autism is also difficult, because if they are somewhere loud like one of your sports games, or something like that, they will get overwhelmed and freak out. Normally only one of your parents or none of them at all will get to come.

I think that the pros outweigh the cons of having a sibling with autism. In conclusion I think you should be more open minded toward people who have any type of disability. They do not understand that it is different to be the way they are. They think that we are different or abnormal in the way we act.  Just be more open to different people, because you never who will become  a lifelong friend.