My name is Emma, and this is my special friend, Amaya.

Amaya has a disability called Autism. Autism makes Amaya's brain work a bit differently than other people's do. 

Many people do not understand Autism.

Some people think that Autism is contagious, but it's not. You can't catch Autism from spending time with someone who is Autistic. 

Other people think that Autism is scary, but that's not true either. People with Autism are nice, humorous, and fun to be around!

Certain people think that having Autism means that they're not smart, but that's wrong. Albert Einstein had Autism, and he was a genius!

Autism might make things seem difficult sometimes, but with hard work and practice, it will get easier. 

People with Autism learn strategies to help them perform daily activities, such as using an alarm clock to wake up on time.

They also learn strategies to help them cope with things they don't like, such as using headphones to eliminate loud sounds.

Strategies are useful for people with Autism to help them live a happy, healthy, and successful life. 

When Amaya gets dressed in the morning, she chooses to wear soft clothes without tags on them. Anything rough or scratchy, like jeans or tags, bothers Amaya's skin and causes her to become upset and frustrated. This happens when her brain can't properly process a lot of different things touching her at the same time. It causes her brain to become overstimulated.

Amaya eats the same thing for breakfast every morning because routine is very important to her. She also doesn't like certain flavors, smells, and textures of food. This happens when her brain can't properly process a lot of taste, smell, and texture at the same time. This causes her brain to become overstimulated.

I help Amaya at school by making sure she has everything she needs. I bring extra pencils because Amaya sometimes forgets her pencil at home. I always let her borrow one of mine. 

People with Autism may forget things every now and then, or they may struggle with organizing their things. Gentle reminders or a visual schedule are good ways to help them remember and stay on track.

Amaya and I always eat lunch in a quiet area of the cafeteria where the sun shines in from the window. She doesn't like loud sounds or bright lights.

People with Autism are often afraid of loud sounds because it surprises them and hurts their ears. They will usually cover their ears with their hands to let people know it's too loud.

Lights from light bulbs can also bother people with Autism. If the sun is shining in from the window, turning off the lights can help them feel better.

Their brain usually becomes overstimulated because it can't properly process sound, light, and visual motion at the same time.