My name is Zach Stehle. I am 22 and I have autism.
Over the past year, I have also received over 20 million views on TikTok!
It all started one day in the beginning of July 2022. I was sitting in my room, minding my own business, reading a comic book and stroking my cat, Piper. All of a sudden, I heard my brother, Josh, from the other side of the house.
“ZACH ZACH ZACH!”
He ran into my room so fast that Piper jumped out of my arms and hid behind me. At first, I was merely like, “Oh boy, here we go again. What is it this time?”
Josh’s mind is always coming up with crazy new ideas. He’s very creative and loves making things. But on that day, I was very comfortable with my comic book.
However, Josh is my brother and he always listens to my ideas and stories, as well as all of the things that I geek over, so I decided to hear what he had to say.
Boy, I am glad that I did!
He asked me if I would like to film some TikTok videos with him in which he asks me questions about superheroes. I shrugged and decided that it would be fun to do. We made the videos and posted them online, naming our TikTok channel, “@thestehle.bros,” which I thought was really cool. Now, a year later, I am TikTok famous!
Josh and I have been featured on 6ABC news, talking about autism awareness, and Josh wrote a book about our relationship called I Am A Superhero Expert. In the book, Josh tells stories about our childhood and how autism has impacted our lives. The book talks about his feelings growing up with me and what he has learned about autism. I’m very proud of him.
Josh has always been my biggest supporter. He gives me advice and is always there for me when I need someone. For this, I am eternally grateful. Josh is more than my brother. He is my best friend.
Being autistic has been both challenging and interesting in my life. Autism has allowed me to see the world in a new light, giving birth to my imagination which has been a comfort to me in troubled times. I can always escape into my imaginary world when I need a break from reality. Yet, autism has made it difficult for me to speak properly, to pay attention or even do things that
seem easy to other people.
Sometimes, I dislike the fact I am autistic and I desire to be like everyone else. Yet, I get through with help from my family who have been my biggest supporters. They fight for me, help me, and are always there to offer comfort, advice, and assistance. They show me that autism is not something to be ashamed of. It should be celebrated.
Keywords:
Autism, Autism Awareness, Autism Awareness Month, I am a superhero expert, superhero, Josh Stehle, Stehle Brothers, AIP, Accomplishing Innovation Press, 4HP, 4 Horsemen Publications, Writing Life, Writing, Superhero.
