Keever was five years old when he was diagnosed with autism.

The now 11-year-old student at Dapto Public School has shared his story as part of International Day of People with Disability.

Keever said people with autism are ‘neurodivergent’, a word that means that his brain works differently to everyone else.

“I guess you could say my brain is unique,” he said.

“Every person with autism faces different challenges. For me, I forget a lot of things.

“I learn things, then I have to be shown how to do them again, not just the next day, but for years. Like how to use a knife and fork.”

Moderating his emotions can also be a challenge for Keever.

“I get really angry when people annoy me. Ten times angrier than a regular person,” he said.

“Then there’s the opposite of anger, when I can be overly affectionate. When I was three, I walked up to a complete stranger ... and gave him a hug.”

Keever said it was also hard for him to make friends.

“I struggle socially. A lot of the time I am seen as weird and sometimes people even say, ‘you look autistic’. But do I?” he said.

Keever said he had lots of support from medical professionals and therapists, who helped him overcome some of his challenges with movement, speech and emotions.

And his biggest support was his mum.

“It doesn’t matter how many therapists I’ll have for the rest of my life. My mum was the one that’s taught me the most,” he said.

Keever said he hoped to help people learn more about autism.

“People who don’t have autism probably think that having autism is one of life’s difficult journeys,” he said.

“For me, living with autism is just my normal. I was born with it. I’ll always have it. I just have to learn to work around it and that’s okay.”