"A smile is the lighting system of the face, the cooling system of the head and the heating system of the heart."

Below is some information that I think you, the brothers and sisters of children with Autism or Autistic Spectrum disorder, may find useful.

I hope it helps!!!!

What is Autism??????

Autism can sound kind of scary when you first hear that is what your brother/sister has but it is nothing to be frightened of honestly!!! What this means is that your brother's/sister's brain is different from yours and what you can do without thinking your brother/sister either cannot do or has to think really hard to be able to do it.

Sometimes they may have trouble understanding what you and other people are saying to them and you may need to repeat yourself a little slower and give them more time to give you an answer. This would be a great help to them and will also help you not feel frustrated when they don't understand you.

They sometimes cannot find the words in their heads when they want to use it so may repeat a word over and over again whilst thinking what the word is ..... they may say "Want, want, want, want" then after a short time they will say "want juice". It is very hard but if you can let them finish it would be good for them and help them put the words together .... If you finish the sentence off for them you may think you are helping but really it doesn't help them.

Sometimes when your brother/sister seems happy they may suddenly become mad or start crying and might even have a tantrum this could be because they can't tell you what they want or what they need .... this could also be because something has happened and it has upset them. The best thing to do if they are sad or mad is to see if they can show you what they want or need .... The best thing to do if they tantrum is to leave them alone this might seem mean but it really is the best thing to do.

Your brother/sister will ALWAYS have autism but with your love and support he/she will be alright!!!

Will my brother or sister ever get better????

There is no cure for autism and your brother/sister will always have autism ..... BUT Able autistic children can and do learn how to help themselves it also depends on how much encouragement they get from everyone as to how much they can improve.

Why does my brother/sister play on his/her own a lot????

This is because they find it hard to talk to other people and it takes a lot of effort to play like you can naturally so they are happier playing by themselves BUT this does not mean that they don't want to play with you too sometimes!!!

Why does my brother/sister laugh when I fall over or hurt myself????

Your brother or sister does not mean to be nasty when they laugh but they do not understand and can't imagine how you feel. So when you cry your brother or sister will find it very confusing and won't know what to do so they might laugh. If you try to see something how another person sees it you will be using something called "empathy" and your brother or sister does not have this "empathy" so it makes it very hard for them to understand your or anyone else's feelings.

Can children with autism go to school????

Yes, they can and do go to school to learn just like you do. There may be someone in your class that has autism and just needs a little more help than you do. Some children with Autism need to go to a school that is especially for kids like them.


How should I behave around someone with Autism???

Just be yourself do not treat them any differently than you would any other person because they are not that different from you!!!! They have feelings just like you they can feel excited, happy, proud, sad, mad, frustrated, worried too!!! Just because someone with autism acts a little differently than you do or your friends do doesn't mean that they don't get upset by teasing so please try to be a caring person and if you treat them the same as you treat your friends you may have another friend to play with!!!


Why does my brother/sister always tell tales????

This is because your brother or sister does not realize that by telling someone about what you or someone else has done is "telling tales" they may simply think it is great and want to tell other people OR it could be because they know you are not allowed to do that and so tell on you. It is not done because they WANT to get you into trouble but simply because they don't understand that by telling they WILL get you into trouble.

Why doesn't my brother/sister get told off like we do????

This may seem very unfair but the way of telling your brother/sister off has to be different from the way you are told off because unlike you your brother/sister does not always know when they have been naughty or said or done the wrong things and this is because of their autism. Your parents have to find a way of telling your brother or sister off in a way that they will understand.

What about me?????

It is okay to feel angry or upset !!! If you feel left-out by your Mum & Dad just speak to them because they may not realise that they aren't giving you the attention you want or need from them ..... Don't forget your Mum & Dad are just trying to help your brother/sister and don't mean to leave you out !!! It is okay to ask questions about anything you don't understand like why your brother/sister does this or does that. Remember that your Mum & Dad might not know the answers either but together you will sort it out. If you are getting teased about your brother or sister then please tell your Mum & Dad and remember that the people that are teasing you are only doing it because they don't understand what Autism and Autistic Spectrum Disorder are and you do so you are cleverer than they are aren't you!!!

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