My Autism Journey

By Mike Hipple, PRC-Saltillo Blogger

April is the start of the baseball season and nicer weather in Wisconsin. It is also Autism Awareness month and I have been celebrating it since 2009. I have cerebral palsy and use AAC, I don't have any family members who have autism. You might be wondering why I celebrate it? I could have gone on with my life without doing anything to do with autism easily, because I live in the cerebral palsy and assistive technology community. But I went through school in the 2000's and early in the 2010's when autism was huge and I had many good friends and classmates who have autism. They taught me so much and I am thankful for them.

My earliest memories about autism was when I was in a cognitive disabilities classroom. I was in that program starting in first grade until sixth grade and I had a lot of friends with autism, however, I didn't know that at the time. I can remember one of the students ate the same lunch everyday in the same way. It has been 19 years since we ate lunch together, but I still can remember what and how he ate his lunch. What now you don't believe me? Okay this was how he ate lunch everyday. First he ate his sandwich, three raisins, a banana, and three cookies. Still don't believe me, I thought this would happen, I had my parents write these words so you know that I'm not joking. Why do I still remember how and what he ate for lunch? I ate lunch with this friend every school day for my first five years of school. And when he had something else for lunch we heard about this many times throughout the day. I can remember how he needed to go to the cafeteria to help the janitor, how we played cars on a big rug that had a city on it during recesses, and how he needed to know about everything before it would happen. He is an amazing person and his family is amazing. His one-on-one aide was just terrific with him. Another classmate who has autism that I had in grade school had an issue with changing class, and he didn't like his friends who were in the same grade but he loved to chat with my friends who understood how to talk and to act with someone who has a disability. Another classmate that I had was a little girl and she was and still is a beautiful person inside and out. I truly believe that I'm not the same person if I don't have her in my life. I still talk to her today, she is an amazing woman! Throughout my grade school years, I had awesome awesome memories with all of them and more. I think one of my favorite stories from that time is when I was in the special education classroom in time out. The girl asked the teacher what was wrong with me. I don't remember what the teacher answered, but the girl came over to me and said “It’s okay Mike, I am right here for you.” Wow, that was awesome and it still gets me today! She didn't need to say that but she did.

I went to a different middle school than everyone who was in that program with me. It was harder leaving them than my special education teacher and one-on-one aide. I was ready to say goodbye and thanks for the memories to my teacher and my aide, but I was worried about my friends. Who will they have to chat with? Did our teacher remember to tell their new teacher that he loves to clean up after lunch, and will I ever see and talk to them again? I saw myself as an advocate for them as someone who understands their needs and knows them for years. I was hoping that they were okay.

The first day of my seventh grade year, I thought to myself, “This is awesome. I have no one to watch out for and I will have lunch with my friends.” Well that took just five minutes to break up, because a classmate of mine has autism. He and I were in every class together and we shared two aides. Unlike my grade school special education teacher, the teacher didn't have any ideas about what autism is and how to best teach him. For example, he liked to rock on his toes and the teacher would yell at him to stop it or make fun of him. He shouldn't have been in the program in the first place and she had around 70 students to manage. Anyway back to my seventh grade year. I learned so much about people who have autism that year because in the program they had students from the entire autism spectrum. From that student that walked on his toes to a student who was so smart, but they needed help in social skills. I remember thinking to myself this, “hey, this disability autism is interesting I need to know more about it”. So I started learning about autism and I fell in love with it. I think humen's behaviors is the most interesting things on Earth, because we don't know what is coming next. I remember a day in seventh grade when the student was having a good day then he was talking to himself saying “bad boy.” He started having behaviors. Wait a minute, did he tell us that he was going to have behaviors? I had behaviors myself and I couldn't tell someone that I am going to have behaviors. How awesome and interesting.

Sadly, the classmate needed to change school for eighth grade. It was best for him, but I was so sad because I counted him as a great friend. We had some fun times and he taught me so much more than I ever imagined. I see him from time to time in the community. He always puts a smile on my face and brings back phenomenal memories for me.

High school is a different story. I wanted to focus on my studies and making new friends. I wasn't that active with the CD room, I knew their names and I would say hi to the students in the hallway. I had a few of them in my classes and I rode the same bus as they did. One of them liked to take walks when he started to get frustrated, I remember thinking wow that is smart. He also loves to draw and what an amazing illustrator he is. Another one, he knows every vice-president in the history of our country. I always enjoyed talking to them and learning from them.

In my twelfth grade, I only had classes in the morning. My teacher said I don't care what you do and where you go, but you can't just go home and watch sports talk shows and be on Facebook. I remember feeling so lucky. On my first afternoon of freedom, my aide asked me if I could stay at school because if my community aide would need anything her and my teacher would be there. I said yes and walked the hall to tease my friends. After I finished walking by the classrooms that they were in, I stopped by the Intellectual Disabilities (ID) classroom. I wanted to see what was happening. Before I knew it I was in the classroom almost everyday helping them. Man that time period in my life changed me to an understanding person that only wants to see the students try their best. I can remember a student, like I worked with them yesterday, not ten years ago. They would tell you lines from a soap opera that they watched at home. This was fun and interesting to say the least. They would do this anytime like in the middle of the class or on a ride in a city bus. Rides were really interesting with this student. I think one time they told a stranger that they love them and hope that they will be together forever. I was thankful that their teacher was on the city bus too so I could watch what the teacher did. The teacher said I am sorry about this and remember we don't talk about love in public to the student. I got my good friend to volunteer in the program with me. We loved this and still talk about it when one other sees a post about our time on Facebook or when we see a student that they were in the class with. During my high school years I started reading books about people who have autism and their family. I think the book Real Boy should be on the reading list in any and every classes on autism that universities offer, because the book is a phenomenal insight on what families go through. Another great book is Look Me In The Eye: My Life With Asperger by John Elder Robison. That is a book written by someone who has Asperger’s syndrome and he did an excellent job with letting us know what a person with autism needs to go through everyday plus he had one of the best summer jobs that a person could get.

I also volunteered at Easter Seals. One afternoon I got there and a grandmother was in the office with her grandson. My friend who worked there asked me and my community aide if we would watch him when she was talking to the grandma. We said of course. I needed to work on something, but I kept an eye on the boy who was sleeping. When the grandma came out and she said thank you and I said no problem he was sleeping the whole time. When they left the office, my friend told me that the boy hadn't slept for two days. I said really because he was sleeping peacefully for two hours. Stories like this one I will always remember, because it has an impact on my life.

Now, I would like to talk about why I think it is important to have students, who have a disability, help out with other students who have a disability. For myself, I feel like it is my job to help people understand what they would need and want, because some of them don't have a voice or they might be afraid to speak up. I know that I will never know what someone who has autism or Down’s Syndrome goes through. I know I won't know what sensory needs feel like. I don't know a lot of things that the people who have autism feel, but I know how it does feel to be different and I can listen to a child or adult's problems. I know how a kid feels when they invite their friend over but never show up. I know how a kid feels when no one wants to play with them during recess. I know how adults feel when they can't find a job. I know how adults feel when they can't find a boyfriend or a girlfriend. We have some same issues and I can communicate how they might be feeling to their family, school team, and community team. I hear from parents sometimes, they just want to know what their child is going through, if I can do it then I am happy to share my viewpoint.

I don't know what my classmates and friends are doing today. I would love to know but it is likely that I will never know how they are doing. They are why I am in this field and have knowledge about autism. Thanks guys. Like I said earlier, I do see them around town, but I never come up to them to ask how are you doing, because they are living their life. So, I wish them and you a happy autism awareness month and I would like to thank each one of them for teaching me about autism spectrum disorder.