Everyone wants to feel like they fit in. Making friends and feeling like you belong begins in early childhood and continues throughout life. Unfortunately, for those with autism, that process can be delayed or never happen. This can leave some autistic people feeling different and alone. I know I have often felt that way; I have autism. I have struggled throughout my life, but it wasn't until I was diagnosed with autism that I finally understood what made me different. As I have gotten older, I understand the need to find others with the same interests. Autism spectrum disorder is "a complex developmental condition involving persistent challenges with social communication, restricted interests, and repetitive behavior."(National Institute of Mental Health). It is a spectrum, meaning there are varying degrees of this condition. From the nonverbal to the high functioning and everything in between. I happen to fall in the "high-functioning" category.
When I entered kindergarten, it was made abundantly clear I was socially and behaviorally behind the other kids. My kindergarten teacher told my parents I was socially immature and needed to repeat kindergarten. The following year, I repeated kindergarten. I often played by myself at recess and was always left out when it came to playdates and parties. Autistic people struggle to read body language or facial expressions and look at others in the eyes, which inhibited my ability to make and keep friends.
By the time I started middle school, I had made two friends. The one I considered to be my best friend started to bully me. I wasn't aware that I was being bullied at the time, but my mom was. It isn't unusual for autistic individuals to be bullied, and they may not be aware of it Because of all the bullying, I was pulled from mainstream school and put into a virtual school. Even though this was a virtual school, we still had one day a week when we went to class. Most of the kids in this school were quirky, like me, and had experienced some of the same issues as me. Leaving public school was probably the best thing that happened to me. Look at me now: I received my associate's degree from Grossmont College and am now here at SDSU.
This is my perspective of being autistic, the good, the bad, and the ugly!
Hi Samantha, your blog really hit home for me. My middle son has autism as well. like you he repeated kindergarten and now in 2nd grade we are finally beginning to get the accommodations from the district (I put my son in private school so he would have more help). I look forward to your future blogs to read from the perspective of an adult. I am sorry you were bullied as a child even if you didnt know it at the time.
ReplyDeleteSamantha, I think this is an extremely valuable subject to bring to the blogs for this class. I think autism is often something that is misunderstood and stereotyped when it comes to how we characterize it. Sharing your story, including the bad parts of bullying and some of your struggles is very powerful and I look forward to hearing your perspective in your other experiences.
ReplyDeleteHi Samantha, I am very interesting in learning more about autism in your page. I work as nanny and I see how difficult is to find the support that kids need in their every day life. I'm happy to see that your parents make the right choice to change you into a private school.
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