Families For Autism Support And Awareness
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Kids Corner
It's hard having a brother with autism. Yet, at the same time, I, like my older brother, learn something new about Ramon everyday! What's even crazier is that he's my twin, and I think he knows me more than I know myself. We want to know what you think! So on this site, if you have any questions on dealing with little (or older) siblings with autism, please let us know. My brother and I will try to help answer your questions or give tips that may be useful. Just remember, patience can go a long way, and always keep a positive attitude in everything you do.
As Roel wrote before me, having a brother with Autism is hard. Now that I'm in college, I get to see him only when I come home. Most of the time, he is a very happy camper; however, there have been times where I have to help my parents restrain him when his autism gets too big. He seems to understand that I am away in college studying. He, however, always makes me feel at home by uttering "Shut Up, Ruben" when I'm home or on the phone with my parents. Sibling love!!!!
Rudy's perspective:
I was born and raised in Laredo, Texas, a small border town off the coast of
the Rio Grande. I grew up in a neighborhood known as "Las Cruces"; With my 3
older cousins, who are more like brothers to me, and my younger brother. We
were all around the same age. My oldest cousin was almost two years older than
his twin brothers; I followed, only a couple of months behind them, and finally
my brother was the youngest, only a year behind me. We grew up together. I
remember being toddlers, and how we'd run around my grandma's house while our
parents were at work. How the scent of my grandma's homemade tortillas would
lure us to the kitchen together. Of course, when one is young, his mind rarely
has room for anything other than cartoons, candy, and more cartoons. No, it
wasn't until we were a little older that me and my fellow "brothers" realized
that one of us was different. One of my twin cousins, Ramon, was born with
autism. For those who aren't familiar with autism, it's a neurological
disorder, usually dealing with impaired social interaction and communication.
As a kid in my eyes my cousin was no different than any of us; He fit in.
There was no room for autism in our minds at such a young age, but as time
passed and we grew older it became apparent that not only was he different, he
was also special. He has the best memory out of everyone I know, and the best
smile too. He's a real joy to be around. However, autism does have it's dark
side as well. There's alot of different names, some people say "episodes"
others say "meltdowns", and well they all mean the same thing, my cousin "flips
out" sometimes. I'm not an expert so i cant say I know the exact reason as to
why it occurs, but as we matured me and my cousins learned how to interact with
Ramon, and how to deal with him in the event that he had a "meltdown". My hats
off to my Aunt who started a local autism awareness group called Families for
Autism Support and Awareness or FFASAA. It's through her that we've learned
about my cousins condition and how to deal with his disorder. She hosts annual
Christmas and Thankgiving parties, in which me and my cousins always volunteer
and help out with. I've learned that people with autism are some of the best
people to be around, and even though me and my cousins have matured over the
years, my cousin has remained the same. To this day, when i walk into his room
I can find him watching one of our old favorite Disney movies. As i lay next to
him and begin to watch it with him and simply enjoy his company, it's like he
provides a window to my childhood spent with him and memories i'll forver
cherish.
I was born and raised in Laredo, Texas, a small border town off the coast of
the Rio Grande. I grew up in a neighborhood known as "Las Cruces"; With my 3
older cousins, who are more like brothers to me, and my younger brother. We
were all around the same age. My oldest cousin was almost two years older than
his twin brothers; I followed, only a couple of months behind them, and finally
my brother was the youngest, only a year behind me. We grew up together. I
remember being toddlers, and how we'd run around my grandma's house while our
parents were at work. How the scent of my grandma's homemade tortillas would
lure us to the kitchen together. Of course, when one is young, his mind rarely
has room for anything other than cartoons, candy, and more cartoons. No, it
wasn't until we were a little older that me and my fellow "brothers" realized
that one of us was different. One of my twin cousins, Ramon, was born with
autism. For those who aren't familiar with autism, it's a neurological
disorder, usually dealing with impaired social interaction and communication.
As a kid in my eyes my cousin was no different than any of us; He fit in.
There was no room for autism in our minds at such a young age, but as time
passed and we grew older it became apparent that not only was he different, he
was also special. He has the best memory out of everyone I know, and the best
smile too. He's a real joy to be around. However, autism does have it's dark
side as well. There's alot of different names, some people say "episodes"
others say "meltdowns", and well they all mean the same thing, my cousin "flips
out" sometimes. I'm not an expert so i cant say I know the exact reason as to
why it occurs, but as we matured me and my cousins learned how to interact with
Ramon, and how to deal with him in the event that he had a "meltdown". My hats
off to my Aunt who started a local autism awareness group called Families for
Autism Support and Awareness or FFASAA. It's through her that we've learned
about my cousins condition and how to deal with his disorder. She hosts annual
Christmas and Thankgiving parties, in which me and my cousins always volunteer
and help out with. I've learned that people with autism are some of the best
people to be around, and even though me and my cousins have matured over the
years, my cousin has remained the same. To this day, when i walk into his room
I can find him watching one of our old favorite Disney movies. As i lay next to
him and begin to watch it with him and simply enjoy his company, it's like he
provides a window to my childhood spent with him and memories i'll forver
cherish.
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