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Writer's Showcase: Matthew Ehrenhaft

World Autism Awareness Day on April 2 will celebrate the unique talents and skills of persons with autism. In recognition of this event and Autism Awareness Month, we are showcasing the writing of talented individuals on the autism spectrum on our website. Please send your short stories, poetry, and song lyrics to editors@autismspeaks.org
for consideration. Autism Speaks reserves the right to edit contributions for space, style and content. Due to the volume of submissions expected, we may not be able to publish them all.
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Video Series
In Their Own Words
Autism

If at first you do not succeed,
Try, try again to get to the lead
But sometimes in life it's hard to succeed,
Especially with autism, a problem indeed.

Let's start the story
At the beginning of the clock
It's almost as though
My brain has a lock.

It's like living on the edge
When no one is there,
Deaf, beaten, and vision impaired.
It's hard to deal with autism, it's true
But others like me, they deal with it too

Just because we're different in the way we see
And the way we see is differently
That we can still live a life that's very happy
Or live a life of eternal misery.

Our life is like a coaster, up and down,
Either too high or too low, no middle ground
When you try to find peace,
It can never be found
Either way, destruction bound.

It runs in vibrato, which is fast and slow
Like being drunk as some people know
A time bomb at times, getting ready to blow
Or a freezing river that does not flow.

If autism were normal, personalities might glow
Sadly our problems are major, they will never go
Some are moody, some get mad,
Some stay happy, some stay sad.

Itching and nervous, caught in this curse
Only intensify the pain to worse
However the brightest in the bunch
Actually have something like this
For people to understand, that is my wish

Some are so accurate, they will never miss
Others just stare, a boo and a hiss
For they don't know the curse we endure
When they do this, we suffer more

We know we're different, they know we're here
I have feelings, and they will appear
Even though they may seem different, or even weird
Don't laugh at our autism, and please be sincere.

There's one more thing I have to say,
There are more of us born each day.
People should notice who we are, today
And look at us in a different way

Maybe one day we'll all be free
But we're still unique, as you can see
One day autism will have a key
To unlock and complete this mystery.

Matthew is fifteen years old and a freshman in North Port High School in Florida. He was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome at the age of five. He is in mainstream classes and recently started writing poetry as an outlet.






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