Felipe Barriga Reflects on the Importance of Autism Acceptance

Friday, April 2 is World Autism Awareness Day and the beginning of Autism Acceptance Month, a shift from an Awareness Month to ignite change through improved support and opportunities in education, employment, accessible housing, affordable health care and comprehensive long-term services. Felipe Barriga, Lead Engineer for Mechanical Components at GE Gas Power, shared his experiences in the hopes that they will encourage employers and candidates to better understand—and accept!—autism in their personal and professional lives.

Meet Isabel Abigail

Felipe's daughter, Isabel Abigail, was born with autism. She was diagnosed with autism before she was four years old, but her challenges began much earlier than that. Born prematurely, Isabel Abigail would sleep only a few hours, waking up crying and even vomiting. By the age of six, she was finally able to better express what was happening to her. Felipe quotes his wife, Rosa Isabel:

"Have you ever imagined that you just arrived on a planet where everyone acts strangely, so strangely in fact that you don't understand their language and cannot express what you're feeling? It's as if you had no voice at all. For those with autism, it can seem like they're a foreigner to this world."

It's easy to feel isolated and lost in such a world. "In our case, Isabel Abigail has a moderate level of autism,” said Felipe. “She has difficulty communicating what she wants, but especially what she is feeling. She's also a teenager and has all the emotions that come with reaching puberty. And yet she wants to go to school with all the other kids; an experience that hasn't always worked out, because untrained professionals can actually make things worse."

For Isabel Abigail, incremental achievements mean so much: writing a sentence in a notebook, doing addition or division to two places, expressing her sadness. These are all amazing steps that Felipe's family celebrates.

How You Can Help

Through his daughter, Felipe has come to understand the importance of neurodiversity.

"When we talk about inclusion of people with disabilities, we often think of someone who is mute, blind, or uses a wheelchair," said Felipe. "But autism can be invisible. If you pay close attention, you will see how an autistic person might be distracted, startled by noises, or even self-soothing attempts like rocking. Autism can range from Asperger’s up to a moderate case like my daughters to extreme cases that require extra care."

So what can neurotypical people do about it? Because autism can be invisible to those unfamiliar with it, you may not realize your coworker is autistic. "This is why it's so important to be inclusive and empathetic," said Felipe. "People with autism aren't sick, they're just different. It's important to walk in their shoes."

Each day is a learning experience with Isabel Abigail. Felipe quotes his brother: "Infinite patience, imminent miracle." Of course, not everyone has infinite patience and miracles don't happen immediately. But with enough patience and kindness, progress is possible.

Autism has no cure, but that's not a tragedy. "The real tragedy is the ignorance about autism and how we treat people with it," said Felipe. There are many therapies for autism, but the best medicine is keeping an open mind and avoiding snap judgements. That's the foundation for inclusion of everyone from all walks of life, and a world that Felipe hopes Isabel Abigail will grow up in.

"On behalf of my daughter and my family," said Felipe. "I really want to thank every one of you that have read these words."

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