Second Grade Winner with an Essay on Autism

[Guest guest]

For my daughter, having a brother with autism is not always easy, but she never

stops loving him. Abigail wrote an essay for the " Tis the Season' essay contest

held by the city of Parkland. Over 300 essays were submitted from Parkland

schools, and as the winner she was awarded a check for Autism Speaks. I thought

perhaps the group might be interested in sharing how a seven-year-old views

having a brother with autism. Here is her essay:

Autism Speaks to Me

If I could help somebody it would be my brother, Grant, who has autism. People

with autism, like Grant, sometimes have trouble communicating and they may act

" different. " I participated in a Walk for Autism Speaks with my family, and I

learned that for every 88 kids that are born, one of them has autism like my

brother.

If you have a conversation with someone who has autism they are not always able

to focus on what you are saying, and they may only want to talk about things

that are important to them.

Restaurants, playgrounds and shops can sometimes be too exciting for them at

first. They may be loud, say things you do not expect or they have trouble

understanding what you are asking them. I would like people to accept kids like

my brother who are unique, and not judge them. Just be patient. If you see

someone who you think might have autism, you should help them or just be a

friend.

I went to camp during the summer with kids who have autism like my brother, and

I found out that they can be real friends just like anyone else, we laughed

together and played games. It was a blast and I am still friends with many of

them.

There are good things about autism, too. My brother is the most fun and active

person. He is awesome on computers and every morning when I wake up, my brother

has a big smile on his face and he says " It is a beautiful morning. " He is

still the BEST BROTHER EVER.

I know I may be only seven, but I can make a difference and so can you.