Just Like You

One of the things we value here at The Brown Side of Autism is giving a platform to stories that help people better understand autism, disabilities, and the families who advocate every day for their loved ones. Today, I want to highlight someone I connected with through TikTok, Marissa Sorocco, and her book, Just Like You.

Marissa is the mother of two children with special needs, Madison and Tyler. Her experiences as a mother have given her a firsthand look at both the beauty of raising children with disabilities and the challenges that can come when society does not fully understand or accept people who are different.

Her daughter Madison, who is nonverbal, was one of the biggest inspirations behind Just Like You. Through the book, Marissa shares an important message: having a disability does not make someone less deserving of friendship, inclusion, understanding, or respect.

Looking Beyond a Disability

Something that stood out to me about Marissa’s story is her desire to challenge people’s preconceived ideas about what someone with a disability is supposed to look like.

Disabilities do not have one appearance. Autism and other disabilities can affect people in many different ways, and you cannot always tell what someone experiences simply by looking at them.

That message is especially important because too often people make assumptions before taking the time to understand the person in front of them.

Every Person Deserves to Be Included

The title Just Like You carries a powerful message by itself. Children with disabilities want to experience many of the same things other children do—friendship, happiness, fun, belonging, and acceptance.

Being nonverbal does not mean someone has nothing to say. Communication can take many forms, and every person deserves the opportunity to be heard, understood, and valued.

As someone who advocates for greater autism acceptance, this message really connects with what we talk about through The Brown Side of Autism. Awareness is important, but we have to go beyond simply knowing disabilities exist. We need acceptance, inclusion, compassion, and a willingness to learn from people whose experiences may be different from our own.

Why Stories Like

Just Like You

Matter

Books like Marissa’s can help start conversations, especially with children, about disability and inclusion at an early age. When children learn that being different isn’t something to fear or make fun of, we help create a more accepting generation.

Marissa set out to share Madison’s journey in hopes that it could help others better understand disabilities. Even reaching one person can make a difference.

That’s why I’m happy to use The Brown Side of Autism to help share her story and spotlight Just Like You. 💙📚

Different doesn’t mean less.

Different people communicate differently, experience the world differently, and need different kinds of support—but everyone deserves to feel like they belong.

— The Brown Side of Autism

Daniel Gillespie 


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