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.)
8You are going to cry.
It’s possible that this one could apply a bit more to your parents than to you, but chances are you’ll shed some tears for your sibling as well. There might be times when you sit and lose yourself in worry wondering what type of future awaits your sibling. There might be times when you see someone snickering at their behavior and cry for them. Whatever the case may be, try to discuss these feelings with the other members of your family. They’re almost certainly experiencing them too.