AN INCLUSIVE KIND WORLD

  There are thousands of battles that come with being a sibling to someone who has autism. Being afraid to invite friends around in case they don’t understand, fussing over being future caregivers, and not understanding why he or she is in pain. There are so many, my lord! Today is my brother’s 21st birthday and I recall how little he was before being this big and wonderful man I am so glad to be related to.  Yes, I love my brother, but some things upset him when it comes to him. Not everything is easy, but dealing with his challenges helped me, or rather made me grow. One thing I have learned is that nothing is impossible. There are days that I thought my brother wouldn’t know how to do basic things, but now- I am blown away by his growth, especially when it comes to his speech. Silence speaks volumes. This, I know. Just because he’s silent, doesn’t mean he can’t speak. I also consider persons with disabilities because I know how tough it can be. One of the greatest...

When I was younger, I met about three of Tobi’s therapists and all of them were completely different. They all had their strengths.  But I would never forget Aunty Nancy, she was an exceptionally beautiful woman and Tobi really loved her. She knew how to handle him well, especially his draining meltdowns.  She was superb! I didn’t see how the therapy might have been hard, all I saw was Tobi trying to communicate with this beautiful woman, singing, talking… It was impressive. Yes, there is no cure for autism but with therapy, people with ASD can move forward in life. Support is needed, but therapy goes a long way too.  Various kinds of therapy include;  Behavioral management therapy, Educational and school-based therapies, Nutritional therapy, Occupational therapy, Parent-mediated therapy, physical therapy, Speech-language therapy.  Yes, not everyone will need all of these therapies, because Autism is a spectrum and one person’s challenge is not the sam...