Along with the difficulty, life with Harel also contains advantages (photo: courtesy of those photographed)
For boys with siblings dealing with autism or with any other disability, the struggle does not only come down to the difficulties that come with growing up alongside such a sibling in a home, for all the complexities involved, but it is also necessary to deal with the reactions of the general society.
Reactions from the friends, from the people on the street, with the looks and comments.
But me?
I am not at all interested in what others think and how they look at me or my little brother Harel, the 11-year-old who is dealing with autism, I am only interested in the personal well-being of this lovely, cute and very innocent boy.
Already from childhood I saw that he was different from other children his age, it's just that when I was young myself I didn't know what the exact medical definition of his condition was.
My friends also of course recognized that I have an autistic brother, they also saw from the beginning that he didn't behave like any other child, but still I had to explain to them what it means to deal with autism, what it is like to grow up next to such a brother and they understand and accept more today than in the past .
Bridges between him and the social environment.
But alongside the difficulty, living with Harel also contains advantages.
They gave me added value, taught me to be more inclusive and to look equally not only at people with disabilities, but at everyone who looks and behaves differently from me, from us.
I have learned to accept all people for who they are.
I learned the value of tolerance.
I am even considering volunteering in the future at a hostel for people with special needs.
Nevertheless, the difficulties cannot be ignored either.
Harel always plays alone and usually by choice, as he is always in a "zone" and thoughts with himself.
When Harel is outside playing in the neighborhood garden, he suddenly starts running and singing songs loudly.
If we are in the mall, then he starts making sentences out of no context, for example from a children's TV show he watched.
He also gets angry very easily.
It can sometimes create a little embarrassment for me, but there's nothing I can do, it's hard for the normal person to understand the world they live in and the things they deal with.
And more often than not, we family members are the ones who have to bridge between him and the social environment.
In my personal opinion, from my impression there is not enough awareness of the difficulties and struggles of people with disabilities.
Education for patience and acceptance of difference must start at home, with parents and at a young age.
The topic and the value of tolerance should be taught already in schools, these values should be inculcated in young children so that they grow up and be part of a society that is more accepting and kind to everyone.
The writer is Elroy Netanya, a 9th grade student, the brother of 11-year-old Lavi and Harel, who is dealing with autism.
He is the son of Ortel Netanya, South District coordinator of the "Tikkon Olam" program of the "Adi" association, which works to change the attitudes of teenagers towards people with disabilities.
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autism