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.)
6You’re going to become a mama/papa bear.
Like a lion or lioness protects their cubs, you’re going to feel a strong protectiveness over your sibling – whether they’re older or younger than you. Anything or anyone that threatens to hurt their feelings, mock their differences, or cause distress to them in any way will cause an instinctive parental reaction. You will become very sensitive to their needs and always take the steps necessary to make sure they’re met.