One of the biggest obstacles holding back people like me who have high functioning autism today is loving yourself, chasing your dreams and finding your silver lining. This is what I feel I’ve had to fight for all my life. In America, it’s not uncommon for those who have a mental disorder like autism to be stigmatized. However it’s important to change people’s perception of an autistic person and defy the stereotypes of where they end up in life. Growing up I always felt different, I was always ridiculed or used by my peers in primary school and never understood why I acted the way I did. I didn’t know what autism was until I was in the 7th grade and that I had it. To have Asperger’s syndrome means that you are very smart but also you lack …show more content…
proper social and communication skills, along with sensory issues and obsessive interests. Even though I received counseling and speech among other services during my middle and high school years, it didn’t really help me in a very powerful way. As I started spending more time with my peers during my post-high school years along with looking phrases and words on the internet, I started bettering my social skills.
However because I had dealt with so much bullying from being disabled and having low self-esteem almost every place I was at from school to youth groups to church -- I became fragile and broken. I felt like I was the unhappiest teenager in the world. I had taken a semester off school after a failed attempt at community college. I became depressed, starting cutting myself and even locked myself in my room for a month. People -- particularly the young ones -- forget to understand that people like me who are autistic are human. Do I act differently or make mistakes, yes but I’m human. Eventually I found Newbury College where I finished my freshman year. I was able to be far away and reinvent myself as a person. Even though I was still recovering from surgery, I worked very hard my semester and made my way to the dean's list. Next year I will finally be at my dream school: the University of New Haven. When I enter UNH, I will still be a Communications major though with a different concentration either TV/Video Production or Public Relations. My goal is to become a radio personality/TV producer or a public relations
specialist. I note Beyonce and Oprah Winfrey as my influences for overcoming obstacles in their lives. Funny how I was told that I’m a people person because that’s what being a communications major is all about. At this point in my life, I feel like I am heeling. I have finally learned to love myself, to stand up for myself and not care who does or who doesn’t like me. I’ve strengthened my social skills while at Newbury. So instead of talking about my own interests excessively I talk about other people’s interest and sometimes even have deep conversations. I’ve learned things social, academic and independent wise that will carry on for the next three years in college and in my adult life. To find your silver lining means to that even the worst events or situations have some positive aspect. And self-confidence goes a long way. One of my favorite celebrities Demi Lovato says in a song jokingly: “What’s wrong with being confident?” Nothing. If you love yourself, happiness will follow. Chasing dreams are very important. I let people who’ve tried to steer in other directions career/post-high school-wise as motivation to pursue my dream career as said above.
This book was a great read. The heartwarming tale of two young children who manage to overcome the disability under the category of autism. The author, the mother of these two children, uses her language to make the reader feel connected with the struggles of the family and the elated feeling when the children are deemed functioning within normal levels. This book gives insight on several different therapies, some that seemed helpful and others that seemed silly. It touches on the subject of inclusion as well. This book allows individuals to relate to those who have children with autism and gives parents of children with autism hope that their child's disability is not a permanent one.
We had a presentation provided for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing students about the process of transition, and in my junior year I attended only one college fair. While I was able to explore my options, that was it. Moreover, as a Deaf person, the only universities I knew right off the top of my head that provided access and services for Deaf students were Gallaudet University in Washington D.C. and Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) in New York. I know better now, but at the time I didn’t think there were very many options for me. I wanted to attend a university where I would receive access and services, but I also did not have any particular desire to go an extremely long distance away from home. At school I did not receive much guidance and I did not know half of the things that I should have had known when going through the application process. I had no idea what I was doing and my parents had to assist me. As a result, when I discovered California State University of Northridge, we submitted enrollment and housing applications in late. I did not have a place to stay for the first two weeks of college. I ended up staying with a host family, and I left as soon as a dorm room opened up. If I had been more prepared, known how the process worked, and that I had to apply early, then this wouldn’t have
Albert Einstein, Bela Bartok, Alan Turing, Bill Gates, Thomas Jefferson and I. Is this a list of Geniuses? People who have changed history?
For all teens, the transition into adulthood is generally seen as a challenging and scary process. For teens diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) as well as their caregivers, this transition is often more complicated. The period of transition for individuals with ASD into adulthood is intensely more challenging due to their “unique characteristics, the lack of services that address the special needs of such individuals in adulthood, and the expectations of society for a typical path to adulthood in the face of atypical problems” (Geller and Greenberg, 2009, pg. 93). Without the necessary resources to transition, teens with ASD find themselves unprepared for life at work, in college, or community living. Through this paper, the reader will obtain knowledge in regards to what ASD is, the barriers it yields concerning the transition into adulthood, and the effects it has on the individual as well
Got into College, in Dominican Republic, in the year 2012, but I did not feel comfortable. I was afraid of college and without knowing what was happening I stopped attending. Later realizing that I was going through anxiety and social anxiety, I was terrified of what others might think of me and I wondered to myself why and who I
“If I could snap my fingers and be not be autistic, I would not. Autism is a part of who I am,” stated Temple Grandin. (Brainyquotes) People with autism are treated or looked at differently by the population. Autistic people usually experience difficulty in communicating or acting in an appropriate social manner. Most children with autism are diagnosed by the age three, yet there are still adults that might have autism and not know it. People with autism have brains that work in an uncommon way. Yet one very special autistic person is named Temple Grandin used her autism and the strong visual thinking ability that goes along with it, to understand the world around her. Temple Grandin’s characteristic persistency and sharp-wittedness helped
An intellectual college student, who attends Lipscomb University explains the challenges and obstacles that students with disability encounter in school. I interviewed Rudy Castillo, who was detected with autism at the age of three to discuss his personal experience. This student as any other played sports throughout middle and high school but also was bullied by others. Rudy’s story explains his journey about overcoming the struggles that autism presents. After all, Rudy’s plan is to help others understand his disability and encourage those with autism to embrace their abilities. Through the support of his family, Rudy Castillo received help from a specialist in Guadalajara, Mexico.
Since the 1990s, autism diagnoses have been on a rather rapid incline. With that being the case, more and more people have been growing up with diagnosed siblings, parental figures, etc. Though despite how common it is, it is still seen as an oddity. Two presentations from two people, Faith Jegede and Joshua Bennett ("What I've Learned from My Autistic Brothers" and "Levi"), open our eyes to the world of Autism. Both made powerful speeches with genuine care behind them.
Every year doctors diagnose thousands of adults and children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Due to the growing awareness of autism and recent developments in technology, scientists and doctors can now discover and observe the effects of autism on society, and people. Starting with its discovery, researchers have been able to diagnose people more effectively. Doctors are beginning to discover what causes this disorder, and are currently trying to find ways to prevent and treat it. Many places have opened their doors to people with this disorder, creating autistic friendly environments where people are patient and understanding. Schools have also become accommodating to autistic children and adults. Autism also puts great strain on family and home lives.
Many people across the world are unfamiliar with disorders associated with autism. Some people do not even know what autism actually is. Asperger’s Syndrome is one perplexing disorder, of countless, that needs to be acknowledged. Although it is one of the more well-known disorders, an understanding of Asperger’s is far from common knowledge. There is an abundance of misconceptions and people unaware of what Asperger Syndrome actually is. Being uncertain about the characteristics of a person with Asperger’s allows people to go through life not understanding the disorder itself and people who have it.
“If you’ve met one person with autism, you’ve met one person with autism,” Dr. Stephen Shore. I believe this is a powerful quote that truly defines autism and those who have to experience it every day. People who have autism are often stigmatized that they are not like everyone else. This negative image can be blamed on how TV and media represent those with this disorder, according to Douwe. This idea first begs the question, what is normal? In today’s society, people are trying to be like everyone else if this means wearing the same clothes or acting the same as everyone else just to avoid attention. Well, autistic people are not able to hide behind this false curtain. What disadvantages they have is not something they can change, but rather
Autism is something to embrace, not conquer” (211). But sometimes the message of hope. love, and struggle can best be understood from the lips of a child. In an article written by nine-year-old Joey Cariello, he simply stated: “I try to be the best brother I can. (I like him just the way he is even though he has autism)”
Autism is a problem that people have with communicating. It can affect many contrasting types of people in divergent ways and there is not yet a complete cure for it. People need to know about this disability and what people can do with people who have it.
According to the Center of Disease Control, “About 1 percent of the world population has autism spectrum disorder” (CDC 1). While this may not seem like a large number, one percent of the population equates to about seventy-three million people. Of these seventy-three million people, there are countless individuals who have made an appearance in the news, on television, or in major companies. The daily lives of these individuals include a plethora of challenges that many people would not give second thought about. One form of Autism that is frequent in the celebrity population is Asperger Syndrome. This disease inhibits an individual’s social skills and emotional control, two traits that are usually required when in the public eye. Asperger
...to grow and increase yearly, one can imagine the effect on society these rates already have, and can possibly have with continued growth. It will not be long before autism becomes the normal society. That is a concern will should all share as creatures of earth. All families that are faced with autism will find happiness with the life shared with an autistic individual. Sadly, these individuals face bullying, and social rejection. They deal with health care rejections, and limited services available into adulthood. A future unknown. Although these individuals are different, that doesn’t mean they are less. As humanity, we need to treat everyone as an equal part of this important reality we call existence. Autistic individuals are the quietest souls, but that may only be because we haven’t learned to pay attention. Autism speaks, so isn’t it time to listen (htt1)?