Vincent: My Father Of Autism

Everyone is born with unique traits and attributes. Some people are good athletes, others are good in academics, some people are excellent musicians, and others could even all of these things. My brother, Vincent, was diagnosed with autism when he was a young boy and struggles with issues every day of his life. Vincent, 11 years old, has always struggled with school, bullies, and even small, little things that happen in our house. This year, he started middle school at the East Islip Middle School and I am very proud of him for moving on like that, knowing that it must be very hard for him to do this. For this reason, along with many others, I admire Vincent. When Vincent was 3 years, shortly after a flu shot, his doctor diagnosed

Most people don’t understand this point and they think that “autistic children are always sad” and “always upset with the world.” Although there are many forms of autism, some more severe than others, God still has a plan for everyone. My parents have done a great job raising him into the young man he is today. They were able to choose which school he should go to base on the special education program and the teachers. In Elementary School, Vincent had a hard time with some people in his class who would do mean things to him, including stealing his hats, hitting him in the stomach as he walked by and excluding him in playing with them on the playground. With the help of a few excellent teachers and classmates he was able to make most of these bullies stop doing these horrible things to him. Vincent when not in school is smart energetic, happy, and even funny, but he can get stuck on little deals and wants to redo these

Some days, Vincent can be very happy and outgoing, and sometimes he can be grumpy and upset which usually results in a tantrum. I am always there for him when he is upset and he is crying, and always somehow figure out a way to make him happy again. My father, who is the head of East Islip Soccer Club, created a soccer program with the help of a family friend and their autism foundation known as EJ Autism Foundation. This program is for children with disabilities, from the ages of 3 all the way up to 18, called “Just for Kicks,” allowed Vincent to be in a safe, stranger free environment having fun while playing soccer with his own instructors on an open field. He loved this program from the very beginning and still loves it today. He also was able to also enroll in a camp called West Hills Day Camp during the school year which was a great way for him to socialize and have fun every Saturday, with many other people doing fun activities such as ATV driving, ziplining, rope climbing and more. He loved this camp and was able to socialize with new people while having fun for the first time in a while. I am constantly admiring him for the accomplishments that he makes. Whenever he gets good grades on tests I always congratulate him. Whenever he does well at soccer I tell him he did well.