6-year-old writes a powerful letter in response after classmate called her autistic brother 'weird'
Dealing with children who have special needs is a delicate topic. One needs to be mindful of how they interact with them. They are just like every other person and need the same respect but some people tend to discriminate and downplay them instead. When a 6-year-old Lex Camilleri heard a schoolmate make a remark about her autistic brother, she was disheartened, per TODAY. However, the little girl came up with a heartwarming response that she penned in the form of a powerful letter to share with others. In a post shared by Love What Matters, the little girl’s letter was revealed along with the caption her mom, Sophie, had penned while posting the same on her Facebook page.
"Last week, a child at Lex's school came up to her and said, ‘Your brother is weird.’ Lex told the child that her brother, Frank, has autism but the child didn't know what this was,” the caption read. The little girl was saddened but knew she had to do something. As an active effort, she requested to share about “Disability Awareness in schools" in her next School Council Meeting. She penned a letter explaining what she experienced with a message for all. The letter read, “On Monday, I felt very sad because a girl in my class said that my brother was weird. My brother has autism and is not weird.” Lex further added that the school should learn about “all disabilities in school” so that “everyone understands that some people are different but should all be treated the same.”
Sophie added, “I'm so very proud that Lex has this view and wants to change the way other children view others with disabilities. She is only 6 years old and is already part of the school council, wanting to make this change.” People took the toddler’s plea seriously and were glad to receive the gentle awareness. Lex’s dad, Jace, explained that Lex was disheartened not so much by the comment as the lack of knowledge about the topic. He noted, “The fact is, she has lived and breathed autism for the first six years of her life. Ultimately, she was taken aback by the lack of understanding.” He also mentioned that the idea of autism is a “critical subject” and requires attention.
“It was fantastic just to see her write it down. It spread like wildfire. We were overwhelmed with pride,” Jace said. The mom explained that Lex loves her brother and is always there for him. “She's always by his side; she may be his younger sister but she always looks out for him,” she remarked. The little girl’s message was appreciated and put up for teachers to pay heed to. It was also reposted across several awareness pages, per the mom’s request to share the same.
The message even spread so far that the family had a meeting with a member of the parliament to ensure better education. The family is up for all the hard work they need to put in to support their 6-year-old’s efforts to never let her brother or anyone like him feel left out. “To know that Lex's letter has touched so many people around the world is wonderful. She is my little superstar,” Sophie exclaimed.