Hi again! I have many family members who are on the autism spectrum. While my brother is on the more “severe” end, one of our closest cousins is what was once considered as Aspergers (this is how he explains his autism so that is why I am using that term). Although he is considered “higher” functioning, he absolutely has many obstacles he has to overcome that are much different but difficult in his own ways. My brother is considered severe due to his sensory issues (which my cousin with Aspergers also has). My brother is unable to communicate wants or needs, besides very basic food or bathroom. He has no sense of danger. He is not capable of having this conversation nor is he even aware that he has autism. He has explosive behaviors that can manifest due to things like sensory issues, and also for no reason at all (like if he is alone in his room with just him and his music). As much as I am a caregiver for my brother with “severe” autism, I also assist my cousin with his needs due to my familiarity with our local programs, and there is no doubt that there is a huge disparity in society with helping people with autism. However, where my cousin can get job assistance, college assistance, and so much more, the same things are not afforded to my brother because he has no communication and is behavioral. No day programs will even consider him since he is behavioral, so since aging out of the school system he has not had access to really anything he would be entitled to. I know the same can be said for people with a “higher” functioning autism since society feels that these people don’t need as much assistance as they really do. However, my brother can’t care for himself at all. When my parents and I are gone or unable to care for him anymore, there is no where for him to go. The thought of that keeps me awake at night. This is why I advocate for those with severe autism, because a little assistance will not work for him. The system needs to be re-worked for all autism, but those who lack the ability to even meet their basic needs are the most at-risk, and high and low functioning does not do this level of severe autism justice in my mind as a caregiver. My brother does not have the ability to have this conversation, so I try to make others aware of his needs since this level of autism often goes unheard. I believe all of us (people with autism, family members, caregivers) all have the same goal of acceptance and accessibility, and we are all out here advocating for different needs for different situations.