Living with Autism!

Hello there chess.com. Over the past few months, I have been growing concerned by the lack of understanding in the subject of autism. Not only on here but also in real life. In my community, at school when I was a student. At work and in everyday life.

What people don't realize about people with autism is that we do not choose to be unable to understand everyday things and or activities that you all might be able to do without even having to worry or think about doing.

For instance, taking a bus to a store. It is very difficult for people with autism to be able to go onto a bus and find their way to different places. It takes them long periods of time to get anywhere or feel comfortable with doing things like finding their way places.

I am one of those people. When I was very young, I was diagnosed with high functioning autism. I couldn't walk until the age of 5 and I couldn't talk until the age of around 6-7 years old. Even then though, my words didn't make sense. They weren't real words. I wouldn't look anyone. I wouldn't talk. I was completely non-verbal.

Growing up though, my parents worked with me over the years. My mother did role playing with everday scenarios. For instance, how to stop at a stop sign. When to cross a crosswalk. Those sort of things. When I was 12 years old. My dad taught my how to play chess. It was like a firework going off. With only a few lessons from my father about how the pieces moved, I took it upon myself to get better in my chess game.

The doctors and guidance workers all said that I'd be in a group home to help people with autism and they said that I'd never be able to look after myself. Well, I am proving them wrong. I am now turning 21 in June. I am a cashier in a retail and grocery store and I work with money. Think about that for a moment. Math was my hardest subject to learn. I could never work out change and now I am working with MONEY!

I also, over the years, ran R-Word Campaigns of my own. R-Word campaigns referring to the word Retard. I know I know. The real definition of the word Retard is the means of being slow. However, that is not the same in school or in high school where you have young students who are being bullied with the use of that word which has changed in society over the years. Being used medically it is another story. It is, however, being used nowadays as a hurtful term to describe people with disabilities and people who might have difficulties.

I managed to get the word to stop in one school and ran different discussions and speeches in a college in Fredonia New York. I used to live there. I joined my school's chess club there and competed in my first school tournament making it to the semi-finals which I think is pretty darn good considering they were all upper-classmen. The Special Olympics, which I am currently still an athlete of for 5 years now, has helped me over the years as well. When you go to a special olympics event. It is like nothing you have ever seen before.  Friendships are created and strong binds of family, trust, brotherly love and sisterly love are formed as well. It is like one huge family where you can be autistic or any other disability and you will not be judged or ridiculed at all.

Finding love is a totally different aspect as well for someone with autism or a disability. I myself wish I could find love but it is very difficult because many people my age are involved with drinking, smoking, partying, and clubbing which I am not a fan of and am not afraid to say it. I have the personality of a child in a way yet I am very mature and I do know things about real life. I do know about relationships and I do feel I am ready to grow even more mature and try to get into a relationship with a loving woman.

I am not saying this to seek pity from people. I am writing all this down to spread the word that people with autism are not treated fairly in today's society. I am speaking up for all people with autism out there and other disabilities that may affect them daily. I am not trying to blame anyone. I am just speaking up.

If anyone has any comments they would like to say or questions they would like to ask of me, please do so by either sending me a PM or by leaving a comment on here. This is the first of many forums of this kind that I will be posting.

Thank you chess.com for your time. God bless you all.

There is much ignorance, hate, violence, ugliness and fear in the world.

There is also much knowledge, love, kindness, beauty and courage.

You are part of the second group.

This is my comment for now.

Thank you Esles. You are correct of course with both ideas there. There is hate and violence in this world. So much so that we sometimes forget about the kind parts of life. There is also love and kindness to.

I do my best everywhere I go to speak about autism to explain it as best as I am able to. Whether or not they listen or believe me, I don't really care, I just try to spread the word.

Wow

*raises hand*

I am one of those autistics as well.

I wish you the best, Legolas, work hard everyday for what you want.

Thank you Angel, Vulpes, and Suravira. That means a lot to me. Working hard is the one thing that I strive to do each and everyday that I come on here and at my job outside of here.

Hello. Thank you and you are most welcome. I am actually going to be making my own youtube account and be posting videos like this to spread the word. It just concerns me that these things happen to good people and those good people don't get accepted just because they may look a little different or might have a disability.

That is why I wrote this. That is why I am continuing to write and comment about this issue.

*gives out free hugs*

lol.

You're welcome, but there's no need to thank me.

Yes, sometimes we forget about the nice things in life, because the bad things overwhelm us. Bad things tend to do that, imo, they often are so destructive, "loud/noisy" and "flashy" and so they cover-up the goodness in a way, and make us think that those bad things are dominant.

Well, they surely try to dominate, but we shouldn't give up fighting and hoping for a better future!

I miss the days when whenever we did something we were actually held accountable like human beings instead of treated like idiots or even have our "disorder" being used as a synonym for retarded. I am Sam and Forrest Gump were retarded, not autistic, Bones is autistic, not retarded.  The standard is also much different, whenever you do something it's put down to the "disorder" or if you have a talent it's written off as a so-called "splinter ability".  If Mozart is retroactively diagnosed with autism somehow then will his talent be viewed any less?  Why have a different word for the same thing?  Why is a king a king or Count a Count (Earl in England) in Europe but a "warlord" in Africa or the Middle East? 

Did Bobby Fischer's anti-Semitic hate and ignorance come from autism or was he just an a... ummm... "jerk"? His view on America's founding was spot on however. 

Very well said, Elven.

The good news is that awareness towards autism and what it is and is not is steadily growing. Compared to where we were as a society 10-20 years ago, we have made leaps and bounds in terms of understanding. There will always be that immature and/or *explitive* that will make fun of someone with autism, but their numbers are dwindling.

Thats for sharing and making people aware. 

Couple of years ago my kitty cat had ate too much ash and his urinary tract was in pain, so when we took him into the vet, the receptionist says to me "You are austistic."  I remember feeling uneasy as though I didn't know how to take what she said, (sorts of like I was a creature she had only until just then seen on television or read about) yet I wasn't sure what she meant, but it sounded labelling and judgemental instead of compassionate and caring and didn't enjoy the experience of it one bit.

I understand how you feel my friend. People think that the word autism refers to someone who can not do anything for themselves or who just rocks back and forth screaming without looking at anyone or anything. Hands over their ears and such.

With my experience having autism. I used to rock back and forth. I used to look at nobody and nothing. Screaming yes but it was because I was scared and I was in pain as well because of health issues with my legs.

My parents, god bless them, have helped train me over the years growing up and have helped me become the man I am today. When I think of having autism my friend. I think about how much of a gift it is to have Autism my friend.

Many people, scientists and regular citizens, do not understand autism. They do not know what it REALLY is. It is not a bad thing in a person. It is just a learning disability that Autistic people have.