Here’s your real autism awareness

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Autism Awareness

Things aren’t great with Charlie at the moment. His screaming has increased in frequency and intensity. I feel for Charlie but I also feel for Jude who’s starting to get really affected by Charlie’s constant screams. Charlie’s been hitting Jude, slapping him in the face if he’s feeling bad, and that breaks my heart. When Jude comes to me with a pout and tear-filled eyes asking why Charlie is hitting him and I don’t have a good explanation, I can’t help but feel like I failed them both. I explain that Charlie is hitting him because he’s angry and uncomfortable, and because of his autism, it’s his only way to communicate. But that does little to comfort Jude’s sensitive heart.

See…This isn’t the kind of autism you see in movies. This isn’t the autism you see on those websites sharing the success story of a kid who solves a crazy algebra formula at age 5. This is our autism. It’s not often pretty. A success story here is Charlie saying “buh” for bubbles. It’s Charlie screaming fewer than 10 times per hour. It’s Charlie not dangerously running in the street before I get a chance to buckle him in his car seat. That’s our reality, and that’s our autism. Here’s your autism awareness.