I can relate to Amita Reka’s article wholeheartedly. In “Autism Is Not a Tragedy” the writer tells about her brother being diagnosed with autism and speech delay.

“He knows his ABC’s and 123’s and spent hours singing them at the top of his lungs … My brother had a speech delay and was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder.” Wow! When she said he “cried easily” it had my heart racing. These are things that most people don’t have to deal with. The tantrums, sensory sensitivity, and maybe even seizures. This article gives me hope that there are a lot of people like me who understand what it’s like to have an autistic sibling.

My favorite part was when Amita asked herself, “If somehow in the future someone found the cure for autism, would we use it? The answer is no. Curing my brother’s autism would be like taking away what makes him unique.” Amita’s perspective made me realize that those of us who have family members with autism should accept them for who they are.

Thank you, Teen Ink, for publishing an article on autism, and thanks to Amita for having the confidence to speak her mind.