For most high schoolers, life can be pretty simple. Going to school, hanging out with friends, playing sports, all done easily and without a care. However, for some people it’s not that simple. They do all of those things too, but with an added challenge; autism. It’s hard to know what it’s truly like to live with autism, what things are different and what makes them different. Two students from GHS, Zach Ferguson and Ben Bluemond have graciously volunteered to shed some light on the topic in an exclusive interview.

Voyager: What do you wish people could know about what it’s like to have autism?

Zach: “It takes a long time to get used to, it just feels different. You expect so much out of yourself, it’s just kind of  a lot of pressure in a way”

Ben: “It’s pretty hard for some people to have autism, it’s hard to handle. Some of them might feel bad about themselves, it’s pretty hard to deal with.”

Voyager: What’s the hardest part about going to high school with autism?

Zach: “Probably adjusting to change like schedule changes, out of nowhere tests, stuff like that.”

Ben: “You might feel like you have a hard time making friends, you might feel like you’ll be made fun of by bullies in the school. This school is very friendly, is what some people don’t understand.”

Voyager: What do you do on an average day at GHS?

Zach: “I usually do most of the stuff that’s the same, some kids with autism have a room they go to, I do not do that. Really I just go to normal classes, some in program, it’s for a class like algebra, it teaches the same things but it’s for kids with disabilities.”

Ben: “I talk to my friends, go to my classes, go to gym and I go to track practice during the season. I’m a sprinter and a mile runner. Track actually helps me to make new friends, you can know more people than you ever did in the school.”

Voyager: Do you ever feel that you’re treated unfairly because you have autism?

Zach: “Not really, only people that are just jerks.”*laughs*

Ben: “No, I really haven’t been mistreated. I know some people have, like they might use the “R word” at you, and they say mean things to some people with autism. Some people don’t understand they’re just as normal as everybody.”

Voyager: What does it mean to have autism to you?

Zach: “It’s not necessarily being different in my eyes, it’s just having a gift that you need to learn to adjust with.”

Ben: “It means a lot, if I get picked, I feel bad for myself. But what I encourage is feeling good about yourself, don’t listen to what other people say, they’re trying to make you feel ashamed of yourself for having autism. Being called the “R word” is not easy, it’s taken really personally, even if you’re joking around.”

Voyager: What can be done to change the way people perceive autism?

Zach: “I know there are a lot of people who are trying to have a positive outlook on autism, but really there are always going to be those people in the world who are gonna say mean things to those kids. As long as you know there are good people in this world, who cares about the bad people.”

Ben:  They could be treated fairly, they could try to find a cure. They could handle it better, calling people the “R word” still happens today, people joke around like that and they don’t even realize it. They could take a stand against bullies to know that autistic kids are as normal as everyone else.”

It’s impossible for those who aren’t constantly living with autism to know what it’s really like, but people like Zachary and Ben work to help the world’s understanding of a topic that deserves more attention and hopefully their work will help change how autism is perceived.