I have autism and Fragile X syndrome.

Hi! My Name Is Evan!

I am a lot like someone you love.

I like to laugh.
I like to learn new things.
I like to sing and dance.
I like to have fun.
And I like to feel safe.

Sometimes I need a little extra help.

I might need you to show me something more than once. I might need pictures to help me understand. I might need you to use simple words. And sometimes, I might need more time.

When I was little, someone I knew and trusted hurt me.

I didn’t understand what was happening.

I didn’t know what to do. I was really scared. I was told not to tell anyone or I would be in “big, big trouble.”

I didn’t want to get in trouble, so I was scared to tell. Sometimes I didn’t know what words to use.

What happened to me was not okay.

I was really scared, and sometimes I still get scared. Now I talk to someone who helps me with my feelings and reminds me that I am safe.

There are things I wish I had learned when I was little.

I wish someone had taught me that my body belongs to me.

I wish I knew that I could say NO.

I wish I knew it was okay to move away if something didn’t feel right.

I wish I had practiced who I could trust and who I could tell.

I wish I knew that if someone hurt me or touched me in a way I didn’t like, I should tell someone right away.

Most of all, I wish I knew that I would never be in trouble for telling.

That is why I want to ask you to teach these things to someone you love.

They might need you to explain it more than once.

They might need pictures.

They might need to practice.

They might not always have the right words to tell you when something is wrong.

Sometimes they might tell you with their words.

Sometimes they might tell you by the way they act.

And sometimes they might just need you to notice.

Please keep teaching them, even if it takes a little longer.

Because we can learn.

We can learn about our bodies.
We can learn about boundaries.
We can learn to say no.
And we can learn to tell someone when something is wrong.

Our bodies belong to us.
Our feelings matter.
Our voices matter.
And we deserve to be safe.

Love,
Evan