Austism Sprectrum Disorder of ASD is complex disorder of a person's brain development. It varies in its degrees therefore making one person with autism very different from another person with autism.
The thing about autism is, it is hidden. On the outward the person living with autism looks very normal but deep inside they are struggling.
According to the Centers for Disease and Control (CDC), the current ratio for autism is 1 out of 68 children. The symptoms are characterized by difficulties in motor skills, social interaction, and repetitive behavior. A person with ASD may also have communication issue, he could verbal or non-verbal and a tendency to be echolalic.
"One shouldn't judge another unless he has walked a mile in his shoes," this is a saying coming from a Cherokee Indian Tribe.
This thing though is a lot easier said than it could be done. Especially when you are dealing with somebody who lives with the autism spectrum disorder.
But what is it really like to be autistic? According to a Forbes Contributor Robert J. Szczerba, he tries his best to get into the world of autism as he has an 11-year-old son who is affected by the disorder. People with autism have a different perspective on things around them. They could be too literal, and the world seems to be too much for them.
A person with autism hears everything all at the same time. When this happens, their other senses are also heightened. Once an autistic mind is experiencing a sensory overload, anxiety tends to increase. It results to hands flapping, rocking back and forth and making unnatural gestures that is known as 'stimming'. Some sensory overload could lead to a meltdown.
Meltdown is much more different than a tantrum, it could also tend to be dangerous. There would even be episodes that take a long time until it subsides.
Next time you see a kid with a meltdown in public, do not assume he is misbehaving. Try to see the world from his perspective. This way, there can be more compassion for them, and acceptance.
