Autism: A view from an autistic individual.

A formal hello everyone. I just wanted to express myself about why autism affects my behaviors. Only a few individuals can tell you these things the way I can.

~Locking eyes

~ A common trait that a lot of autistics share is deliberately avoiding eye contact. Since I am extremely high-functioning I can express to non-autistics why I do this. Our brains work differently from most people for an unexplained reason.

I know I avoid eye contact, because it makes me feel uncomfortable. It makes me feel uncomfortable, because it is a social recognition exercise. Autistic people don't understand most social events, because of different functions.

Don't make your autistic child look you in the eyes. This is very disrespectful.

~Loving animals

~ Autistic children often attach themselves to animals easier than humans. To me, this is because animals have different social patterns than humans. Dogs avoid looking each other in the eye, for this often means a challenge. This lack of eye contact is appealing to most autistic children.

The more social patterns the animal, and autistic child, share the more likely the autistic child will attach themselves to it.

Animals also don't judge them, or pick on them. It is no wonder that a lot of autistic children love animals.

~Obsessing over objects

~ It is difficult for an autistic child to find something that appeals to the way they think. After all, most toys are made to appeal to a "normal" child. When an autistic child finds an item that he/she can relate to they often develop an obsession with it. They may take it everywhere with them, or look forward to spending time with it, because they feel comfortable around it.

~Obsessive behaviors

~ Basically, obsessive behaviors are how an autistic child communicates. I have a lot of obsessive behaviors that my peers love to see me perform. I rock back and forth when anticipating something. I tilt my head when I am confused. Instead of getting rid of these behaviors use them to read your autistic child like a book.

Now, I am disappointed with what some parents do. They tell their child to stop their way of communicating, even if their way isn't harmful. For example:

I saw a parent yelling at her child to stop pinching her lips. I noticed that she pinched her lip whenever a blast of air came through. I told the parent that she is doing this, because she was cold. After she put on another jacket on her she stopped her gesture.

Does your child make animal noises when you tell her/him something you regret? It might mean that he/she is angry with you.

~A couple of more words

~ Autism isn't the end of the world for your child. It doesn't mean something is wrong with your child. It doesn't mean that you should try to "cure" your child. Embrace autism, because it is a difference in the world.

Instead, use your child's strengths to teach them good behavior. If your child likes music then sing a song about manners, and socialization. Does your child like to make gestures than sounds? Teach them sign language!

If you appeal to the way they think, you can teach your autistic child a lot of things.

Remember, just because it is different doesn't mean it is wrong.