At school, whenever I can, I participate in something called “Circle of Friends”. This is a once-per-week lunch group and anyone who’s interested can join; we meet with the kids that have really severe special-needs and can’t be part of regular classes. We eat lunch together and socialize, and sometimes we play games—we just enjoy each other’s company. I like helping kids who aren’t able to speak or move around the way I can, and my non-special-needs friends who have joined me are especially caring people, and so the energy in the group is really happy. Even though I have autism, being in the group shows me how much more difficult things could be, and that helps make me appreciate my life as it is.
“Life is nothing without friendship.” –Cicero