Guest Post; How Autism Changed Our Lives.

Autism is a word that is often tossed around and used to label a person with a illness, but quite often many people don't understand how having Autism impacts a person's life and those around them.

Today I invite the gorgeous Christie to my blog. I remember Christie talking about her sister Grace, and how her face would light up every time she'd tell us that she was going home to visit her on the weekend. What is super special about Christie's relationship with her sister, is that Grace suffers from Autism. It is clear though, that this has only strengthened the bond between the two girls, and goes to show that just because you suffer from a disability, your quality of life and relationships don't have to suffer too.

Take it away Christie.  

Loving sisters! So cute!

My name is Christie and my little sister and best friend Grace has autism.

I'm  not really sure where to start but growing up with a sibling who has a disability is 

definitely not without its trials and hard times but honestly I wouldn’t change it for the 

world!!

Grace has the biggest heart out of anyone I know and she will trust anyone 

implicitly. This is what I love about her because she is not worried about the worlds 

judgements and no one is any different to her in her eyes!

I believe that everyone can learn something from this! I am so grateful to have her in 

life to show me that there are differences in all of us but that should not change how 

we treat each other or how we are treated!

Grace has her little quirks.. like the fact that she LOVES music! It is her escape and 

a chance for her to get out of this world, be by herself and clear her head. I love 

the fact that she has found that release and escape because I have no idea what 

her world would be like but i know even in my world i need that release. Music is 

something that we can bond over. We often sit down in the lounge room and share 

head phones just chilling listening to music! We also be silly singing and dancing 

around the lounge to our favourite songs and we have a ball!! I love seeing the joy 

in her face when she is listening to her favourites.. and boy does she have some 

favourites! You know when she has found a song she loves because she starts 

singing her lungs out, dances around like a lunatic and has it firmly on repeat!! It 

drives Mum nuts!! lol.

Of course there are times where I wish that she didn’t have this disability because 

I am worried what the future holds for her and what kind of life she will have! I also 

think about what she will miss out on! Like all of the normal things we go through like 

having our first crush, having girly chats with our best friends, falling in love, those 

crazy nights out with our friends and just having that normal sisterly relationship. 

Then i think our relationship is perfect just as it is and i don’t think it could get any 

better! Also she has such a supportive family and community around her and so she 

will never really know what she is missing out on. 

I have nothing but praise and thanks for our home town community and how they are 

with her, especially the kids in her class at school! They are all wonderful with her 

and celebrate any milestone achievement for her with her just as much as we do! I 

definitely believe they have learnt from her as much as she has learnt from them, as 

having Grace in their class has taught them all about tolerance, patience and respect 

for other people. We live in a world now that has so much pressure on young people 

and especially young girls so i think it is such a positive thing for the girls in her class 

to be reminded that it doesn’t matter what you look like or who you hang out with you 

can have such confidence in yourself.

So I ask you have you been too quick to judge people on their looks or judging a 

parent with a screaming child? It may not look like it but you dont know the struggles 

that they may be facing behind closed doors! 

Please don’t be so quick to judge and respect everyone for who they are not for any 

differences they may have! Love everyone equally and we will live in a much richer 

world! :)

I love my sister now, I will love her forever and nothing can change that! I love her 

exactly the way she is and I would never ever want her to change!

Christie xxx