Read Poem: Do Not Be Ashamed By Your Struggles, by Moriah Kononoff

In everything
I see you
You made me
You gave me autism,
something people are ashamed of

Instead of a stigma attached to autism,
I am proud of this learning disability
If I were “normal” I wouldn’t have had the same experiences
Most parents would say
that there would be everyday things
that their children couldn’t do if they had autism

I am a fully functional member of society
despite my ASD
Labels sometimes suggest limits

If my parents listened to these suggestions
I would never be a author
I would never have a job
I would never drive a car

When I struggled with learning something new,
I would find other ways to learn
Sure I will always struggle with things
but doesn’t everyone struggle at some point?

When I have to sign medical papers
and tick the box saying I have autism, I chuckle
Most people have a stigma attached to their autism
I am unashamed of my autism

Sure I have autism
but it doesn’t define me
I am privileged to have it
It’s a blessing in disguise
Thank You God for my autism