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My life has changed a lot these past four years. I have a little sibling, and at first we did not know, but when she reached the age of two, she was diagnosed with autism. My family went into a spiral. We had never experienced this before. After spending a lot of valuable time with her, we learned that her speech was delayed and she often communicated differently compared to children of her age group. However, she does do one thing the same: she plays hide and seek.  

Ever since my sister learned to run around the house, I would hide around the side of a wall and wait until the last moment to pop out and say, “peekaboo!” She would laugh and run away from me as I chased her through the house. Despite our ridiculously long 12-year age gap, or the fact that we prefer to do our own things, this game became a ritual for us to play nearly daily, serving as a time where both my sister and I can bond.   

Before my sister, I never really knew much about autism. After my sister’s diagnosis, I learned about the diversity of autism and how it is a spectrum where every person’s traits may be different and even change over time. My sister used to be a tip toe walker and preferred to flap her hands for self-regulation, but now she prefers to chew on her chewy necklace or simply run around. Seeing these changes in coping mechanisms made me realize autism is not a fixed set of symptoms, but rather a constant change of self-regulation. With these changes, I began to familiarize myself with what autism really is, and it helped me understand the world around me better. 

Some of the most prominent characteristics I learned to encompass from my sister were holding patience and appreciating the small wins. When I began writing this post, I remembered the excitement my family and I felt each time my sister simply said, “Hi” on her own volition. Now a couple months later, she speaks so much more, from singing “Old MacDonald” to verbally asking for what she wants. I couldn’t be more proud of her for all the work she does, from school to her ABA therapy.  

Some days she listens, cleans up her toys, and even eats a meal that is not the same mac and cheese she prefers every day! Of course, not all days go like this. Sometimes we get tantrums, meltdowns, and have to serve her the same comfort food daily, but I feel each day we all grow from these experiences and learn how to understand who she is. Sometimes we can’t go out to public places. Some days may enjoy shopping for toys, but other times the loud shopping environment is too overwhelming for her. Some days she loves to sleep in, other days she is hyperactive at night. Her constant fluctuating moods can make it difficult to catch up with her, but I’ve soon come to realize that it is not about catching up with her, but watching her from behind as she continues to move forward. 

I feel my sister has guided me to learning who I am as a person. I discovered my own passion of pursuing a career dedicated to supporting neurodivergent individuals, as well as sharing our story in various communities  as a way to advocate for disabilities like autism. Despite our differences, our relationship is built upon resilience and unconditional love. We may not be able to watch movies in a public movie theater together, but I will always prefer to run around our house playing hide and seek as my sister giggles searching for me.

Reylene is an ambitious high schooler who is working to become a pediatric psychiatrist. While taking high school classes, she also takes Gavilan College classes through a dual enrollment program. She stays involved in her community through volunteering for various organizations and partaking in leadership roles for youth.

In her free time, she loves to spend time with her sister, where both of them go out and play together, despite their 12-year age gap. Reylene also enjoys digital art and combines her interest with advocating for others and art by working to self-publish children’s books that involve emotional regulation.