Ever wonder what it’s like to be an older sister or brother of an Autistic child? Here is one informative viewpoint, provided by my daughter Dorian.

Debi: Dorian, many of us know that having a little brother in general can be frustrating at times! But what kind of unique challenges come into play with Autism?

Dorian: There are a lot of challenges when dealing with an Autistic sibling. For instance, he screams a lot. And many times we can’t go out to restaurants or stores if he’s acting up; or we end up having to leave before we’re done. And, another thing, he’s obsessed with Super Mario Brothers characters. He talks NONSTOP about them. Talk about a headache.

Debi: Sounds like it can get taxing at times! What about some of the positive things about your brother?

Dorian: There are also some good things. For instance, he remembers street names or names of people when I can’t. He’s really good with details. So that comes in handy. Also, with me being terrified of spiders (especially the giant ones), he’s always up to killing one for me. He likes jobs.

Debi: What kinds of things about Autism do you think make it really hard for Justin?

Dorian: Certain things are hard to understand about him. He screams because he hears things REALLY loud. And when he hits, kicks, and punches me, he doesn’t mean to, which I don’t always understand but try to…

Debi: Yes, it’s definitely hard to understand what his world is like sometimes! What types of things do you think you do well, or find easy when dealing with him?

Dorian: What I find easiest is, when he’s bothering me, I tell him to do another task. I even used to tell him to go find the basement, when we had no basement. That would keep him busy for a while. Another thing that works, I give him a math problem.  I also tell him to race me to somewhere if I can’t get him to get up and move. Those work best for me, at least.

Debi: Those are good ideas. I know this is a hard question, but in what ways do you think you could do a little better with your brother?

Dorian: I realize that I could kinda back down on losing my patience quickly… though that’s easier said than done. And I get that he doesn’t do most things on purpose, although some with some things the case is he’s just being an annoying little brother.

Debi: Great! Do you have any advice for other older siblings that you could share?

Dorian: Here’s my advice: Instead of yelling all the time, take a minute and think about what will help. And, don’t always expect them to act out. Sometimes when you raise your expectation and see someone in a better light they start to act that way. It’s weird how that happens.