As I see parents writing articles on what Autism is, or how to describe it, I wonder how many of those people ever asked themselves what it would be like if they had Autism themselves.
Have you thought about it?
I have.
These are just some of the questions I asked myself:
- Would I see the sounds I hear?
- Would it be beautiful? Would it be painful?
- Would I feel the ridges of my finger prints when I rub my hands together?
- Would I feel anything at all?
- Would people expect me to have special skills?
- Would people expect me to have no skills at all?
- Would I speak the same language as everyone yet still not understand anyone?
- Would I be unable to speak any language but understand everyone perfectly well?
- Would I require constant control over myself and my environment?
- Would I lose control easily?
- Would I really need hugs?
- Would I really not want to be hugged?
- Would I notice the flicker of a fluorescent light?
- Would I not notice the dangers all around me?
- Will I be loved for who I am?
- Will I be hated for who I’m not?
Even though some of these pairs seem like opposites from each other, would I still answer yes to both? Would my answers change from day to day?
Would I be able to explain these things to other people? Would I want to?
Would I be me? Would I be less than me? Would I be more?
There’s so many more questions…. I quickly find myself becoming overwhelmed by it all but strangely, as much as I’ve thought about this a lot, it never really hit me like this until I asked myself…
If I had Autism…
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