Personal Narrative: My Child With Autism Spectrum Disorder

As a young child, I was different than other children. I talked to my mother, but was not able to talk or communicate with teachers, friends or strangers. By first grade I was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Because I was unable to communicate and I also had sensory and other issues related to my ASD I was placed in a special education school. The small class size allowed me to learn, but I was not progressing with my social and communication skills. My mother recognized that I needed opportunities beyond traditional speech therapy and enrolled me in acting and music classes and took me often to the theater. I enjoyed the classes and found that I loved music and arts. My father is musician, so in addition to my classes,