Autism, the invisible disability
Well, they don’t look like they have autism?
They seem fine, are you sure they have autism?
They don’t really seem like other kids with autism, are you sure?
They talked to me and gave me a hug. I didn’t think kids with autism did that.
I didn’t think girls could get autism.
These are comments from well meaning family, friends and complete strangers. I really try to not let them bother me, but they can really get under my skin. Living with autism can be ugly, brutal and beautiful at the same time. Some people have reached the stage of acceptance, but I am not there yet. My heart cries for a sense of normalcy for my twin girls, who are now twelve, and struggling with puberty on top of this dreaded disability. Unlike some other disabilities, autism is invisible. My girls don’t look autistic and I get that it can be hard to look past that, but my family live with it everyday. It can be exhausting, grueling and defeating. They are frustrated with their limitations and many days I cry for what they have lost.
Our family has lived this diagnosis for four years now and I see light at the end of the tunnel. I have started to see what they can do as opposed to what they cannot do. There is so much they are now doing, they were unable to do in the past. It is truly amazing! For this I am thankful. I love their witty, sarcastic sense of humor, bluntness, and always telling it how it is. They are absolutely beautiful and starting to become young ladies. They are doing well at school, horse therapy and baking. They have an amazing group of friends, who love them dearly, But they still have autism, the invisible disability.
