Hello, I am sister of autistic teenager

This is Yan. I come from China and now study in London.

My brother is 17 years old now. He was diagnosed with autism when he was 5. My parents got crazy after that. 

My mother has tried all the methods she could to cure my brother, including attending special education school, normal primary school and middle school, having Chinese medicine etc.

Meanwhile, my father accepts it and puts more attention on work to earn more money as a way to escape...

I know that the support system for Autism in the UK is much better than in China. So, I would like to learn more about supporting the Autism group and also the Autism family group in the forum. And then help improve China's autism support system.

Nice to meet you here.

Thanks a lot!

Parents
  • I think that you have taken a positive step, I think the biggest thing is not to generalise, no two Autistics experience the world the same as the other.

    What are your brother's interests?

    Maybe use that to get closer to him.

    Understand what triggers meltdowns or shutdowns and how you can prevent them, and importantly what can be done to work round them

  • Thanks for your reply. I have learned a lot.

    My brother loves music, the change in numbers and sports. We sent him to study piano and cucurbit flute. He does well in practising but does not put any emotion into his music. We understand that he already does a great job.

    The thing we worry about is his future. When our parents pass away, how could he live by himself? Do you have any understanding of this question?

Reply
  • Thanks for your reply. I have learned a lot.

    My brother loves music, the change in numbers and sports. We sent him to study piano and cucurbit flute. He does well in practising but does not put any emotion into his music. We understand that he already does a great job.

    The thing we worry about is his future. When our parents pass away, how could he live by himself? Do you have any understanding of this question?

Children
  • Now I'm 18 I worried about my future too after I finished college.  I all ways worried like what if I don't know how to pay my taxes and my Bills.  I believe that your brother can live by himself and you can find people who can check in with him if he is doing ok .  Teach your bother how to spend and save money.  

  • I work in a supermarket at the moment as a store assistant. If I didn't agree it with management before I started a job it could be like in a previous supermarket loong shifts, even 10h on a till, I can't do that anymore. Luckily new place is more friendly, I get only 2h each of shift during opening hours so I do not have to deal with customers a lot, and I had only till training I don't get shifts on till. 

    Basically anything that includes dealing with customers is a no-go now

  • Yes! The job is a big problem. May I ask what kind of work you do?

  • Yeah, we are continuously teaching him some life skills. My brother now can cook some dishes, wash dishes and clothes, and clean the floor. He knows the steps but always be unconfident, waiting for our instructions (I think it's due to my parents' criticism and I also suffer from this) 

    For independence, he shows a willingness to be independent. He would express that he would like to do something by himself. He could go to school and go home by himself. But sometimes my mother worries that he would make some trouble on the way like twisting from side to side to look left and right on the bus.

  • Firstly about emotion, write it off, if he doesn't display it, don't expect him to learn it, it's not that he doesn't have emotion, he does.

    Secondly, don't dote on him too much, give him some independence, just because he is Autistic doesn't mean he can't have any independence. 

    Thirdly, if you teach him some life skills, you might have to explain it more, than you would to someone else, not because he is mentally incapable, its because he might want to know more, like why you do a particular thing in a set way. 

    The majority of people with Autism can live independently, it's just maintaining a support network 

  • how could he live by himself?

    of course he can, many of us live single, I do for years

    problem is getting a job if I lose it, so he might need help with that

    i wish my sisters were like you - supportive and accepting