Autism spectrum disorder (ASD), one of the most misunderstood diagnoses in the world today, is a mental condition referring to the wide range of social difficulties that many people of all ages face. Common symptoms include habitual physical behaviors or “tics,” hardships in communicating with others, repetitive speech, and a lack of emotional expressiveness.
You may, like me, have a sibling with autism. If your sibling has just been diagnosed with ASD, chances are you’ll learn all of these through experience over the years, but it’s good to keep them in mind now as well. (Note that all people’s cases with autism are very different. This just happens to be my story, but most of these will be true regardless of the specific manifestations of autism that your sibling exhibits.)
11You didn’t know a love so strong could possibly exist in this world.
What is it like to care so immensely for someone else, to put them before you without a second thought, to think about them when they’re not there, and to feel blessed by the universe to have them in your life? That’s love, specifically a love so powerful that it almost feels unreal. This is the kind of love you will develop for your sibling. The kind of accepting, nonjudgmental love that you wouldn’t trade for the world.
If your sibling has autism, you will certainly learn these over the years. It is going to be a difficult and sometimes strained relationship, but in time you will become each other’s best friends.