Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Matthew's Paranormal Interests

From Chris McKee at I Saw a Pigeon comes this post:


I’ve never been one for the cinema, especially if it is a horror film. Yesterday I took my brother (or rather he took me) to see the new Paranormal Activity movie that is out. It didn’t go well for me… popcorn everywhere, womanly screams, and a sleepless night. Even though Matthew is almost 4 years younger than me, he loved the 121 minutes of fear! He has seen every Paranormal Activity to date and spent quite a few nights in his room re-watching them to build up the anticipation for the third one. It’s also amusing to listen for the thuds on the stairs as he re-enacts the final scene from the original film.

Matthew is the second-youngest son in the line of five siblings, and is the only one with Autism. Fortunately Matthew attends a school for special needs, meaning that he is not subject to the stigma that comes with the name of the condition. He loves his books, his Xbox, his family, even though he may not say it often. As you might have guessed, he has a love for all things ghostly. And while Matthew is happily reminiscing about his time at the cinema with me, he is oblivious to the ignorance of some who do not understand Autism. Even in the theatre before the trailers began, there were those who intentionally sat away from the two of us, just because they saw something different about Matthew.

November 1st 2011 is the second Autistics Speaking Day. I know that I have not shed any light on a particular subject surrounding Autism, but I hope that this petite blog post would encourage anyone who has a fear of the unknown when it comes to the disorder to use this event to learn more. I’ve had many people say harsh things about my brother, even when they don’t even know him. Matthew’s personality is completely down to his Autism, without it, he would not be who is today. His individuality is portrayed in everything he does, in his own unique way. I understand this, and I hope that by the end of Autistics Speaking Day, you will too.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Open discussion is encouraged, but posts judged to be bullying or using inappropriate languages may be deleted. Please exercise good judgment when commenting. Comments will be moderated.