When people talk about someone suffering from Autism, I find they are either talking about a child, or someone suffering on the higher functioning end of the spectrum. My brother Jordan is almost 30 years old. He hasn't spoken a word since I was around 4. I don't remember him speaking to me, but I remember asking my mother if he was ever going to speak again. He never has. I decided to start this blog not only to share my experiences caring for someone on the more severe end of the Autistic spectrum, but because I want people to know my brother and who he is, not only as a sufferer of autism but as a human being.

Jordan needs assistance doing many things everyday people take for granted. Imagine being almost 30 and someone still needs to buckle you in your seat belt because you lack the motor skills. Or having to be reminded every day to flush the toilet, turn off the lamp, not to eat soap.

Jordan finds pleasure in things many people would find boring. He has no interest in T.V., Video Games, shopping for clothes or many other things guys his age enjoy. Instead, my brother loves the way certain textures feel at his fingertips, watching water when he's splashing in the bathtub or the pool, listening to music on the radio (even if he's already heard the same song three times that day), blowing bubbles in his juice, hugs, long car rides...he has many little joys like this in life, and a great laugh and smile to prove it.

Jordan also doesn't exhibit some of the symptoms that other people on his level of Autism tend to do. He's truly one of a kind. Many Autistics have difficulty looking you in the eye, but Jordan makes eye contact with you constantly. He laughs and smiles when he thinks somethings funny, or when he sees someone he knows. He also recognizes people that he hasn't seen since he was a child, as I realized when he saw my Aunt for the first time since the early 90's.

My brother will never get a girl pregnant and leave her alone to raise the baby. He will never drive his car into a telephone pole after a night of partying. He will never steal, and although he's probably one of the most physically strong people I know, he's never raised a hand to anyone except for himself. He's one of the most innocent souls I've ever had the pleasure to know. If the worst I have to worry about is cleaning a little poop off the floor, or him getting into my makeup, I'm pretty fortunate indeed.

I wish to use this blog to shed some light on Jordan's world. He is the holder of the purple crayon. The world is how he imagines it, and we are but people that can't see the pictures he's drawn. I wonder if we could see the reality he's created, if we'd keep pushing him so hard to come back to ours.