Walking Beside them. A Path of Compassion and Advocacy.

I took my three daughters to a kids festival, there were games, three bouncy houses, food and gaming trucks. One of my daughters Blue is autistic, shes 11 years old. My oldest daughter Samia is 14, she wasn’t interested in the festival at all. My baby girl Schwa who is 8 years old was ready for the fun as usual! When we arrived, boy was Blue excited, the bouncy house is all she wanted to do. Her eyes lit up and a huge smile came across her face. Schwa grabbed blues hand and they headed to the bouncy house running full speed with me tagging behind. When we got to the bouncy house, There was a long line and Blue began to try and jump in front and push her way though, so I said well blue you have to wait your turn, so while trying to wait blue was getting anxious and irritated. I told blue cmon we will come back. If you have an autistic child you already know this is a difficult situation and can be frustrating.

My other daughter Schwa stayed waiting in line to hold the place because her spirit and understanding is different than blues, but also Schwa is not autistic. So while Schwa waited in line talking and playing with the other kids, I took blue walking until I saw my baby girl got in. The line shortened, so I took blue back to get in with Schwa because I know Schwa will keep a eye on her big sister. The lady stopped us saying they were closing up the bouncy house, they weren’t letting anymore kids in. I asked the person in charge could she just jump for a moment, she’s autistic and it will really upset her. But it was a no go. Blue began to cry, standing there with her shoes off, but I explained to her momma will find another event with a bouncy house or get you your own damn bouncy house. Her baby sister standing next to her, Schwa began to help blue put back on her shoes. Schwa telling blue, it’s okay we will play when we get home.

Blue stopped being upset and walked away like a big girl. I know children don’t always understand they are in the midst of a special needs peer, while having fun they bump into her or push her out the way or she may jump in line. Adults may not understand the feelings and thoughts of an autistic child so they act with no compassion. This truly hurts my heart as we need to keep pushing autism awareness because so many still don’t know what Autism is. When they see it, they still can’t spot it, They say things like that’s a bad kid or they are rude ignoring and not responding. No they have autism look at them and speak calmly and kind to them, not at them. Children on the spectrum are highly intelligent and not rude. They can read people, they can feel your heart They don’t trust you u until they feel they can trust you. In the future as more people learn about Autism, I pray more events are created just for children with autism, kids with special needs to be able to have fun being themselves. Children with autism verbal or non verbal they have feelings that shouldn’t be ignored.

Here are a few facts about Autism, thank you for reading

Autism, also known as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), is a neurological and developmental disorder that affects communication, social interaction, and behavior. Here are some facts about children with autism:

1. *1 in 54 children* in the US has autism (CDC, 2024).

2. *Boys are more likely* to be diagnosed with autism than girls (4:1 ratio).

3. *Early signs* may appear by 12-18 months, with a diagnosis typically made by 2-3 years old.

4. *Unique strengths*: Children with autism often have exceptional abilities, such as attention to detail, memory, or problem-solving skills.