Welcome

Hi, I am Joshua. I am a high-schooler living in Plano with my family. I live with my mom, dad, younger brother, and autistic sister. I have lived with her for all, but three years of her life. Having an autistic sibling is not something that is easily explained. Many people just don’t understand her and how she affects day to day life. Most people around me don’t know I have an autistic sister. You can’t easily tell, can you? There is a wide range of severity of autism spectrum disorder. Some people only have minor problems while others such as my sister are very severe.

Many people would describe me as mature for my age. I credit that to having grown up with my sister. My situation meant I didn’t have time to just be a care-free kid. I had to grow up. I had to take responsibility sooner. I had to understand and practice the concept of putting yourself last. This shaped me into who I am today and will continue to affect for the rest of my life. My family and I have had to sacrifice the usual childhood experiences, and I am okay with that.

I started Autism Aid because know many more people are in the same boat. There are families in my area that feel my pain. They understand what it is like because they too are in a special situation. Together with my family, I will strive to make the lives of special needs families just a little bit easier.

I know some of you reading this are parents of autistic children. I know that some of you have other kids like me who have to adapt. Maybe you can show them this post and future ones. It helps to know someone is like you.

I want to take some time to explain to you about future posts and stuff. This blog will consist of posts like this where I talk about my journey with an autistic sibling, interviews with experts in various fields, and updates on the progress of Autism Aid. If you want, at the bottom of this page you can sign up to get notified of a new post. If you want to know a little more about me, you can find that on the About page. Have a blessed day.