My Brother is Different.

My brother is different


My name is Malik. This is my brother Na'eem. He is different from me and other boys. He does not play like other boys. He likes to be alone. He does not speak like other boys. Instead, he repeats everything we say. He can read but he does not understand the humor in the stories. He does not laugh at the cartoons like we do. But he likes to laugh to himself. He does not play ring around the rosy with the other children. He likes to spin around and around in a circle. My brother does not know how to pray like us in the mosque. He sits quietly and humbly. He does not sing like other boys. He sticks his fingers in his ears and hums to himself. He doesn't know to stand in line. He walks straight to the front. He does not always get in trouble when he does wrong. He does not know how to say he's sorry. Other boys laugh at him and say he is weird. They call him names. But, he is just being himself. My mommy says my brother is autistic. He was born that way. My brother is different; but Alhamdulillah I love him just the same.