Living With Siblings Who Have Autism

You may think that life with siblings on the spectrum is much more difficult than life with non-autistic siblings – but in reality, it’s not that different.

By | Chloe Cabanlig

PART 2 OF A SERIES

My main goal as an older sister is to make sure that my siblings are happy and to try and help them as much as possible. This can vary from making sure they are excited to go to school and see their peers to giving them help with homework. 

My brother is in grade one and he loves school. He looks forward to going to his classes and seeing his peers, which makes me extremely happy. As happy as I am, I’m always concerned that he can be bullied without realizing it, or worse, he isn’t getting the help he needs from the school. 

My brother is high on the spectrum, but even so, he can be very difficult to manage at times. For example, when we meet up with some family members, he tends to get hyper and very loud with excitement. When he is in this state, he can be a handful to manage.

He understands that he is hyper and happy, but he is not aware that he can be somewhat intimidating with his stature and loudness.

That doesn’t mean he doesn’t feel bad. When he realizes his incorrect actions, he is apologetic.

My brother is very tall and bulky for his age. At first, he might look a little scary, but in reality, he is one of the sweetest kids. Many adolescences that are autistic a lot of times can be misinterpreted. 

Kids diagnosed with autism are all unique in their own ways. My sister is a true foil from my brother. She is in preschool, but she has a very interesting character.

She is just like any other four-year-old. She loves Barbies, shopping, and playing with her stuffed bears.

Since she was diagnosed at a young age, we were able to get her a BI (Behavior Interventionist) early on to work with her.

Currently, I am not super concerned for my sister, as she is still in preschool, and she has not started kindergarten yet. Knowing my sister and her personality, I know that she will be okay and she will love school.

So, most of my concern right now is for my brother. 

All and all, having siblings with autism is just like having any other sibling; we are always there for them and always want the best for them. I love my siblings and would not trade them for anyone else in the world.

If you are someone who has siblings on the spectrum, remember that at times it can be hard; but, you’ll get through those difficult moments and understand you’re part of something special.