I am 17 years old, and a junior in high school. I live with my brother, Andrew, who is 21 years old. Andrew is autistic. Watching him grow up has been great because I have seen him grow physically and mentally. There are times where you think the situation will not change, such as occasional fits, then he grows out of it.
I was inspired to make this video because of the person Andrew is. He is a good person, Autism or not. He is who he is partially because of his Autism, It should be motivational to others because you can see his growth, and that should give hope to those who have a loved one with Autism, knowing they will grow up and mature.
It made me very happy to put this video together and get it into the eyes of others. Not so they know just who Andrew is, so they know how Autism affects people. Autistic people are not less than anyone else, just different. It can be challenging for me and my family sometimes to watch him struggle but we motivate him to overcome his obstacles. Having a sibling with Autism can be difficult, but it made me the person I am. He has helped me become a very patient and understanding person. I made this video just over a year ago. It happened to be Autism Awareness month. I was not assigned to make this as a school project, I simply wanted to educate people about what Autism is.
People should be aware that people with Autism are still people, and can grow and overcome challenges just as much as anyone else. They just need a push in the right direction, and push them as much as they can take it. If they want to improve, it will happen.
The challenge for me in producing this video was how I was going to get the message across. This was the first video I have made about Autism. This is for Andrew, and everybody else with an “andrew” in their lives.
Also Read: 10 Things Every Child with Autism Wants You to Know