Autistic, With a 'U'

Herro, everybody! Moshi moshi!

On the off-chance that you missed our autism awareness walk in Cubbon Park today and have no idea what's going on, April the 2nd, that is, today, is World Autism Awareness Day and it is a day on which we try to spread awareness about autism and people affected by it. 

Autism is an increasingly common mental condition that affects communication and social skills, and although an American study has recently found evidence to believe that as many as one out of every sixty people may be affected by autism, it is a condition which is relatively unknown, especially in India. In fact, many times when I tell people that my brother is autistic, they mishear it as 'artistic' and go, "Oh, that's fantastic, I couldn't draw a thing myself to save my life.'

There was a walk in Cubbon Park today to spread awareness, and after that we went to the Rotary Club for an event organized by the ASI, which they lured us to by telling us (falsely) that it was a talent show. 

The walk was good (if rather short), and we handed out pamphlets to the bemused couples in Cubbon who were rudely interrupted mid-make-out by a group of blue-clad flag-waving people, and in this tale there is a moral for all of us. The lesson is this: do not take your loved one to a place where there are likely to be marches, protests or any other kind of organized mass activitiy, because it will not be romantic.

John (staring soulfully into Susan's eyes): Dear Susan, too long have I loved in silence to forbear from speaking now, I - 

(A trumpet blows and a group marches through John's carefully prepared picnic lunch): VOTES FOR WOMEN!

John: As I was saying, Susan, I have long adored you from afar and now I must-

(A second crazed mob stampedes through the area, very nearly trampling Susan underfoot): PATRIA O MUERTE!

Seriously, guys, it's not worth it. Take her to KFC or something, the worst you'll get there will be one of those RSPCA types and they're usually weedy and easily ejected by security.

Although the ASI thing was mostly a stifling bore, my brother's yoga performance was adorable (if I do say so myself), and this lady speaker who was talking about economic independence for autistic adults was really good. She told us we need to expect more of our children, which is important, I think. Reuel has progressed a LOT from when he was first diagnosed, but we've fallen into the habit of going easy on him, which I think, is harmful in the long run. Over all, it was a good autism awareness day.

“Autists are the ultimate square pegs, and the problem with pounding a square peg into a round hole is not that the hammering is hard work. It’s that you’re destroying the peg.”
―Paul Collins, author