Understanding Autism: A Voice from Within the Community

In celebration of Autism Acceptance Month, guest blogger Abriana Parrish shared this insightful blog post. Abriana is also part of our Adult Literacy Ohio community. Her voice offers a meaningful glimpse into her lived experience: what it means to navigate the world, find your voice, and be seen for who you are.

Hello, my name is Abriana Parrish. I enjoy horseback riding, Muay Thai (kickboxing), puzzles, reading, watching TV and volunteering on Mondays with a preschool program. I’m part of Adult Literacy Ohio, where I work with my tutor, Jessica.

There are many reasons why autism is important to me. To me, autism means that I learn differently than other people, but I can still succeed in my dreams. Something that people don’t always understand about autism is that it affects everyone differently.

There are a lot of things I am good at. I am good at horseback riding, working with kids, and being kind to people. I enjoy learning about teaching and how to be the best teacher so my students can succeed. I am proud of working with kids with different disabilities and teaching them different ways they can learn. I am also proud of playing the piano and persevering through hard situations in life.

There are many challenges in my life that I have gone through. Many people who have autism, including me, struggle with social skills and communication. This has affected my understanding of healthy relationships. I am very thankful for the classes and people who help teach me about healthy relationships. It is important to work through and overcome challenges.

Something that helps me succeed is when people are patient with me and show me the steps of how to do something. Another thing that helps me succeed is using a checklist so I can see reminders and stay on track.

A moment when I felt included was when I went to Pony Club and made friends. When I graduated, they let me stay and become a leader. They have helped me through a lot, and I am proud of making friends who accept me for who I am. When people understand and accept you, it feels amazing. I don’t like when people feel sorry for me or don’t take the time to understand me.

Sometimes people don’t talk to people who have autism because they think we don’t have anything in common. But when you talk to us, you realize that we actually do have things in common. It feels amazing when people understand you because they can show empathy and compassion for who you are.

What helps autistic people feel included is when others treat us like a typical person, not just someone with a disability. Treat us like human beings, just like you would treat anyone else.

I wish people knew that autism is not a disease. We know we are different, and learning differently does not mean we are not normal. Everyone learns in different ways, such as visually, hands-on, or by listening.

I also wish people understood that showing us how to do something and letting us practice it helps us learn better. People can be more supportive by smiling at us and treating us with kindness and respect. Don’t judge us—we may be different, but we all need friends who care.

Talk to us politely, because sometimes we may not understand what you are saying, so it helps when you explain things clearly. People should listen to us more often when we are speaking. Also, be patient and show us how to do something instead of only telling us.

Finally, treat others the way you want to be treated.