I previously talked about finding yourself on the autistic spectrum.
However, I think it’s important to talk about how to fit in.
Especially at a young age, it’s hard to understand why you feel awkward.
Most doctors will notice autism in a child early on in life.
Some key points to look for can be a wide array of signs.
A child may be nonverbal, appear to play by themselves.
A child may also resort to stimming.
Stimming consists of noises and movements in order to calm down.
A lack of eye contact may be noticeable too.
All of these traits can be carried with you.
If you seek the right help you can learn to manage your behaviors.
However, not everyone is so lucky.
Growing up I resisted most help of any kind because I wanted to prove myself.
It’s as if I was almost obsessed with “appearing normal”.
All I sought out was acceptance, it seemed very out of reach.
Grade school is challenging when you feel different.
You may be in the fifth grade right now wondering who you want to be in the world.
A study by Autism Speaks shows that 1 in 36 children in the US have autism.
Odds are, you’re in good company.
While you may find the most comfort being alone, try to reach out to someone.
When I was a 5th grader, I had a guidance counselor at school help me.
It spanned from everything to my school assignments, to getting help socializing.
Most importantly, I learned to be comfortable with change.
It helped me meet friends and find a support system I can trust.
Don’t be afraid to be open minded to change.
There is power in trying new things.
There is an even greater power in being yourself.
My mother would try to help and place me in social groups.
Youth groups took up most of my free time.
Summer camps were routine every year.
Sometimes I benefited from the experience.
Other times I was faced with bullying and dishonesty from friends I met.
Perhaps you may not have access to professional help at the moment.
There are plenty of resources on the internet to help you discover if this is you.
Fitting in felt impossible for most of my life.
I felt like my parents treated me like a baby.
I couldn’t understand why my classmates didn’t want to get to know me.
I didn’t let myself give up, I became patient I found friends who helped me cope.
My guidance counselor would go over social situations with me to help me.
Eventually I was able to trust others and be more reasonable to change.
I became better at letting people in, even my parents.
If I can offer some advice, don’t try to be normal.
There is no such thing as normal.
We were all born in our different images and meant to be loved all the same.