On January 27th, 2024, I was able to interview a girl named Kanako in my boarding house. She is currently in grade 11 and she is from Tokyo, Japan. As a child growing up with a brother with autism, she have had some unique experiences around autistic children.
As she claims to be one of her biggest struggles living in a household with people with disabilities, “I was not prioritized by my family, because he needed extra support.” The balance of attention between the two kids are extremely hard to maintain, which causes some negative emotions. Through her experience of, “my friends knew him and they made comments that made me feel hurt,” she decided to transfer schools where she could have a fresh start without the worry of people putting labels on her. At home, her brother is also easily mad about little things because of the lack of control in his emotions, which makes her family filled with arguments on a daily bases.
Even though, Kanako’s experience have been pretty difficult, she did not cease from making a positive impact to the autistic community. She decided that she wanted to create a platform for families who have family members with autism, where they can share their mental struggles and seek for both mental and financial support. Through my conversation with her, I have felt her positivity and strong passion to help others who have a similar experience as her.
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