10 Confessions of an Autism Sister
A selfie of Christos and his sister Dora
I’m 25 years old, a law graduate and Cypriot-Sri Lankan. I grew up in Cyprus, but for the last eight years, I’ve been living in the U.K. I’m the daughter of strong, supportive parents and sister to the greatest guy, Christos.
Christos was diagnosed with autism when he was 2. It has been challenging at times, but it has also been my driving force. Watching Chris progress over the years has been my inspiration. Seeing him go from not being able to tell us he is thirsty, to now being able to tell us he is sad and why, has been a journey not many understand.
Autism made me protective of this community of families going through something similar. So I write to raise awareness. I want you to know, I want you to learn, I want you to tell people about autism. I need to know he’ll be cared for, he’ll be accepted, he’ll be given opportunities and the chance to grow, develop and be part of society.
From his rolling around on the floor screaming phase, to us having to watch “The Lion King” over and over again, to his violent phase, to the intelligent, caring boy he is now, I have been his sister. To say it has always been a pleasure would be a lie, but it has always been an adventure.