Autism is a life long developmental disability, the result of a neurological disorder affecting the functioning of the brain. Today, it is estimated that 1 in every 68 children is diagnosed with Autism, making it more common than childhood, cancer , juvenile diabetes and pediatric AIDS combined (ASGO, 2017). That number will continue to increase in the years ahead and as of today there is no cure.
I myself I been diagnosed with autism (specifically Asperger Syndrome) since I was 4 years old, but I really didn’t knew and understood my disability until I was 19. There are different levels of autism , from low to high functioning. Myself, I fell in the high functioning spectrum, which I am able to do to things that normal people do, but I struggle with social skills. Not all autistic people have the same strengths and weaknesses. Throughout out my life , I have struggled with building social relationships and communicating effectively and efficiently with people. Even though I have done well in school and was able to work jobs that are not for people with autism (customer service, sales) , social relationships has been my greatest challenge. Because of the circumstances that I have went through , I have blamed my disability because of my loser life and thinking that it was a curse or punishment from God.
However, just recently as I graduated with my bachelor’s degree and been able to be part of a great organization that supports autism in my local community, I have been to see a shift in my thinking as it relates to my disability. I have thought that perhaps Autism instead being my biggest liability , it could be my greatest asset. I understand that challenges that families go through in helping their autistic loved ones , and the lack of real programs to help them be successful in life , especially for autistic adults where tragically 90% of them is unemployed. However , we have seen stories of people with Autism and Asperger that despite their “disability” , they have been able to achieve great success in life. Dr.Temple Grandin is the greatest example of what us people with Autism can achieve in our World.
I have begun to see my Asperger’s as my most important asset and a different way to live life and see the World. I can honestly say that If I would have never been diagnosed with it, then I would not be aware of challenge that we have in our society right now in helping people with Autism. I may not be where I want to be in life right now, but my focus now is to use my greatest asset in my life to make a positive and long lasting difference in people’s lives from all over the World.
I can pray that instead of seeing Autism as a liability and burden to people, we can see Autism as an asset that people can use to make a big difference in our troubled World.
Tony Hernandez Pumarejo
Sources:
ASGO (2017). Facts about Autism. Retrieved from http://asgo.org/facts-about-autism/