Marty Murphy

Some things from Marty Murphy I find particularly interesting. :

Words to Remember:
1. Please remember when I try to do something and fail, it only means I am trying. I wasn't to succeed just as much as you want me to.
2. If I turn away or act like I don't care about you, don't think it means I don't love you. I do. Look closely. I might just have a different way of showing it.
3. When I act out or tantrum, I am not trying to be bad. I just get frustrated sometimes and this is the only way I have to show it.
4. Please try not to yell or scream at me. I know I must test your patience sometimes but it confuses me when you yell or scream and then my confusion can make me act worse.
5. Don't think because I might not communicate like everyone else that I don't have opinions or ideas about things. I do. I just can't make them understood. Being autistic and having an opinion of things some people might call "skewed", does not make my opinion any less relevant than anyone else's. It also does not make it more relevant. Don't forget my brothers and sisters as you work to help me.
6. If I get upset in a large group, a noisy place, a place that's too quiet or with too many things happening, please know that I wish I could join in and I am sad that I can't. I wish I did not do strange things in public at these times, but I can't help it. It's the only way I know how to cope.
7. Please don't spend time feeling sorry for me or sorry for yourself. I will only be a child for a short time, and we don't have much time to spend on feeling sorry for ourselves.
8. Don't think you can just ignore my problem and it will go away. I may have known I had a problem long before you did. Ignoring my problem will not make it go away. I need you to understand me and help me, now more than ever.
9. You must believe in me. Most of the time I will have trouble believing in myself! Please don't cast me aside or consider me just another "handicapped person" and limit or ignore my potential before we even know what it is. Remember, if people had cast aside Thomas Jefferson we might never have had the Declaration of Independence. If they had ignored Einstein or Edison, the world might never have benefited from their inventions or brilliance. If everyone had decided that Bill Gates was of limited potential, then the struggle that we have before us would be much greater, for he has given us the ability to connect to the world.
10. Help me navigate the world. It seems so big, scary and confusing. I know people make fun of me and it hurts. I know I am different but I don't know why. Don't hide me from the world. Help me conquer it the best way I can.