autistic sister

[Guest]

im almost 13 and i have an autistic sister who is a year younger than me and a 7 yr old sister. well my autistic sister does all these weird things she cant talk so she makes these noises and she sometimes goes outside and takes off her shirt (gross, i know!) and she gets up at like 6am every day and screams and cries for no reason, waking every1 up. and i can't go to my favorite places like the mall because of her like once i was in aeropostale with dad and her but we had to leave because she started running off as soon as we got there. ok well two weeks ago she kicked me like right in my hip and it's been hurting for two weeks and i didn't do very well at my ice skating lesson because it hurt so bad.


i'm really depressed because of her. ive tried talking to my mom about it but she either just replies with "suck it up" or "get over it" or she tells me to leave her alone and says im abusing her. ya, im in counseling but not often enough. i've been seriously considering running away because i just can't handle this anymore!

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Re: autistic sister

Hello,

It truly means a lot to us at the National Runaway that you decided to reach out for suggestions for how you cope during a crisis. We imagine it is not easy for the entire family while struggling with a young child with autism. We truly empathize with your situation. Have you given any thought to speaking to an adult at home or in school? There are organizations out there such as Autism Society of America that can provide support to you and your family.

Would you be willing to contact this agency for support? This one in particular is national. This organization of parents, professionals and citizens works together via education, advocacy, and research for children and adults with autism. They conduct newsletters, mail order bookstore, and annual conference. They can be reached at 1-800-3-Autism but mainly at the website: http://www.autism-society.org.

It sounds like all the noise and crying has been getting to you. Are you able to use alternative measures to help with some of the sounds you hear around the house? Do you listen to music or read books to distract you from some of the noise? It is not fair to you that your friend simply reply that you ought to just "suck it up" or "get over it." We see this as a true conflict of interest. Obviously, you are affected by it and you are seeking ways to get help.

We are with you and want to support you and your entire family in this time of need. If you feel like you are no longer able to rely on your friend, we are here for you. You are not alone. We wish for you to call us 24 hours a day at 1800RUNAWAY. We can provide you much support if you need a listening ear. We wish to help you or anyone in your family articulate their feelings . You are welcome to vent. We always remain confidential and nonjudgmental. Please let us know how we can help. Good luck.

-NRS