He doesn’t need a chair to assist him with mobility like Jill, the girl I work for, he doesn’t need an attending to sit with him during the day and he never required hospitalization. He needs help with the way that he learns, processes, and retells information. My life took a backseat, but I understood that because he was the baby and he was the boy. My brother’s learning disability put us in two separate schools by the time I was 10 and he 9. I learned to love solitude never socializing outside of class because it was something I was comfortable with. It wasn’t until I watched a video on paws4people at the age of 21 about a girl named Amanda that made me stop and think twice about all the little moments and questions that sat neglected. I discovered how many holes in my memories and in my stories and in my perception of my brother and of family I had. I still don’t know what kind of learning disorder he has. I still don’t know the severity of financial weight we are under because of his schooling and testings, but I know that is a driving factor for the things my family is doing now and for the decisions I have yet to make.

While this just seems like a story calling for the pity party festivities to begin, there are a lot of things needing to be addressed because of having a brother with an invisible disability. This is a call to action for the parents to keep all parties informed and included. A call to action for the awareness of such invisible disabilities whether they be physical, emotional, mental or social or any other types. Above all, this is for the caretakers, educators, and other family members affected by those with disabilities – you are NOT alone. Having a brother with these kinds of issues makes me more aware of the holes in our educational system and compassionate for those with visible and invisible disabilities.

with a perspective i’m melinda