The Evolution of the Sibling Perspective

Ali Gentry
Nov 5 · 4 min read

A reflection on how my brother’s autism has shaped me

What planet is Mark from?” I asked, wide-eyed and curious. Mark’s sporadic hand movements that my parents called “stims” made it seem to me that he was phoning home, and his strange noises might have been his native language. My parents tried to assure me that Mark was not an alien but that he had autism. I believed my extraterrestrial theory had more merit.

Like many kids, Mark used to climb trees. Unlike many, he climbed them during my softball games and screamed when he was too…

Keep the story going. Sign up for an extra free read.

You've completed your member preview for this month, but when you sign up for a free Medium account, you get one more story.
Already have an account? Sign in

Ali Gentry

Written by

Student at The University of Texas at Austin interested in social justice, public policy, and constitutional interpretation

Welcome to a place where words matter. On Medium, smart voices and original ideas take center stage - with no ads in sight. Watch
Follow all the topics you care about, and we’ll deliver the best stories for you to your homepage and inbox. Explore
Get unlimited access to the best stories on Medium — and support writers while you’re at it. Just $5/month. Upgrade