from left to right: Me, Justin, and my sister Allyson

Thursday, June 16, 2011

My First Blog

hello there, my name is Katie. im from central New York. Almost 10 years ago my brother was born. At first, we never noticed any problems or signs that he might be, well, different. when Justin was about three years old we took him to a specilist and they told us he had all the signs of autism. that was the worst news a family could receve. many people dont know, but 98% of autism cases occur in boys and 2% in girls. one of my daily struggles is having to deal with the constant worry, intimidation, fear, and thoughts about my brother. because he has autism not many people understand why he makes the strange noises or why he talks to himself under his breath. it bothers me how people think that just because i'm "normal" i dont have problems with the situation as well, but in my opinion, it sucks just as much. the main point of this blog is for support. one of my teachers and i have been working very hard to find a group that helps support teen's with siblings with autism. well the search isnt going so well so if no one else will help i will just help myself. feel free to ask any questions and i will do the same. (:
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3 comments:

  1. MereDUHthJune 22, 2011 at 5:01 AM

    Hi Katie,

    Great blog you have started here, it's obvious how much you love your brother and really fantastic to read such an honest account of your own struggle. I know it seems like fantastic is the wrong word but it's not - this is one of the most upfront, brave accounts of the everyday issues young people in your situation have to deal with, and that in itself is in fact, fantastic.

    I don't have any siblings with disabilities and I can't imagine how hard it is to watch their struggle whilst simultaneously trying to live your own life. As you're well aware, it's doesn't seem to be something people generally think about, there is a lot of focus on the parents of disabled children but very little on how it affects others in the family.

    I have stumbled across a couple of forums you might find helpful, unfortunately all the information (and therefore groups) is UK based, but you may find some use of the online forums or another way to share your story:

    http://www.autism.org.uk/Living-with-autism/Parents-relatives-and-carers/Siblings.aspx

    http://www.sibs.org.uk/

    http://www.autismeducationtrust.org.uk/en-gb/the-den.aspx


    God luck and stay strong!



    PS Mr. Leece is my brother.

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  2. bubbles8131022July 1, 2011 at 6:39 PM

    Thank you so very much! I appreciate all the help and support i get from anyone who is willing to just sit down and listen. Dealing with a sibling with a disability is a daily struggle but somehow we all make it threw the day one way or another. Thanks again so very much (: . And, OH MY GOODNESS NO WAY! :D THAT'S SO COOL HE'S YOUR BROTHER!

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  3. AutismWonderlandAugust 12, 2011 at 6:59 PM

    I just read this...all of your posts are great!

    Here are a few things I found:

    http://www.siblingsupport.org/ - they can connect you with a sibling.
    http://www.siblingsupport.org/search?SearchableText=teenagers

    Autism Speaks NY
    http://www.autismspeaks.org/community/fsdb/category.php?sid=37&cid=76

    http://www.autismsiblings.org/

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