My name is Nicholas Lombardi; I'm 13 years old. My brother, Joey, is eleven. He's a great little kid; he's sweet, he's loving and he's very funny. Joey also can't talk yet: He has autism. I wish he could talk, I wish he could communicate like a typical kid. Maybe someday, it's so frustrating sometimes, because I know he has a lot to say.
What frustrates me even more is the way people look at him sometimes, because they don't understand. They think he's just misbehaving.
How did I think of a button? I was in a mall with my mom and Joey. Joey was doing what he does sometimes – making funny noises, going down to the floor so he could feel the ground. And people were looking at him like he was just some brat, not listening to his Mom. Joey had taken off his shoes and starting running. My Mom and I were yelling his name. He was confused and upset, but all the other people saw was a kid who was misbehaving.
As the people stared I found my self very angry. Not at him, not really at them, but maybe at autism. I wished there could be a way… to have people understand. A voice.
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Joey and Nicky Lombardi
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