As a child, much of my world was a puzzle, as represented by the puzzle piece. My parents often times felt like they were playing “detective” with their efforts to figure me out. Because of my autism, my senses were often times out of balance and certain stimuli in the surrounding environment caused me to react in negative ways, such as crying or even temper tantrums. Little changes could also result in fits of anger. To make matters worse, I often times could not speak for myself, which would result in my parents breaking down all the possible reasons for why I was responding a certain way. They worked tirelessly to pinpoint what needed to be done differently to relieve my stress and return life to normal. Today, my life is nothing like it was back then, but there are still things that confuse me, and I need others to help guide me through it.
