My journey of learning about Autism began when I married my wife, an extremely intelligent woman, who was diagnosed and has struggled all her life with ASD/ADHD. When I met her, I knew almost nothing about Autism or Autistic people. I had heard the name but was basically ignorant about the challenges & difficulties people with this disorder have. My wife had been diagnosed in her childhood with what was at that time known as Asperger Syndrome, a form of Autism, (aka Aspies) which is a term used to describe people who, among other things, have a tough time with social interactions and non-verbal communication. She went through a lot of hardship in her youth because even the people around her did not fully understand her struggles. They always advised her to "just try harder" and to be like the rest of society. Even I had difficulty empathizing with her at times and would get angry and frustrated with her due to her "erratic behaviour". But eventually, after a lot of long talks with her, reading a lot of educational material and watching a bunch of lectures on YouTube, I have come to a point where I realize that people with ASD cannot be (and should not be) forced to change their ways. Autists/Aspies/Neurodivergents are special and unique in their own ways and, I believe, are a gift from God to this world. How we treat them determines their outlook in life and contribution to society. There were (and still are) many challenges in our relationship, and after we became parents, life became even more stressful. Our oldest child was also diagnosed with Autism at the age of 3, and since then, I have been on a journey to learn and understand as much as I can about this neurodivergent & neurodevelopmental condition. I have also made it my mission to share the struggles & experiences of our family with the wider world to help folks out there navigate the challenges of life as an Autistic/ADHD person or a family member of the above. I hope that by being a member of this group, you can participate in and learn from the interactions we have in this community and together, we can facilitate each other in making life easier for the wonderful neurodivergents of our world.

@Krista Brea is the newest member of our community, joining us from beautiful Illinois. Welcome Krista!