SIBBS Newsletter, Autumn 2020

SIBBS Newsletter, Autumn 2020 | www.tcf.org.uk 9 though, that the unfairness of the loss we have all experienced is shocking and it is difficult to soften anyway. I am so grateful for the other siblings in the Facebook group who have given me understanding, empathy and a listening ear. I hope I too have been able to contribute something in return. I am different, but we all share a similar, major loss. Sadly David wasn’t there to see me graduate, start my dream job, or begin my postgraduate studies. Losing him has left me with a huge hole in my life, and a slightly warped sense of humour. I miss him every day, but I have many happy things in my life as well. We are all unique and different in our own ways. Diversity is part of the richness of life and should be celebrated. We all need to find our own ways to grieve, and not necessarily take to heart other people’s opinions about the “right” way of doing it. One of the hardest things is that it’s impossible to tell you how to deal with this, because we all have to find our own ways through it. And we all deserve to find happiness again. I feel that there is not enough information or support for autistic people who are grieving. I hope to contribute toward resolving this if I pursue the MA in Autism, as I hope to research this topic. I probably can’t change the world, but I’d like to try. “ “ One of the hardest things is that it’s impossible to tell you how to deal with this, because we all have to find our own ways through it. * We are taught that person-first language is politically correct when talking about disability (eg. “person with autism”). However autistic people often feel that our autism is an important part of our identity, much like your gender or sexuality. For that reason I choose to describe myself as an autistic person, rather than a person with autism.