tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-67445946264057007022024-03-26T06:00:25.034-04:00This is Autism Flash BlogOfficial website for the This is Autism Flashblog on Monday, Nov. 18, 2013. Tell us what "This is Autism" means to you. You can write a paragraph or a blog post, contribute a poem or a video, make a comic or a graphic. Use your imagination. Let's tell the world what autism is in the words and works of autistic people and those who love and support them. This is Autismhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10387143599551457657noreply@blogger.comBlogger246125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6744594626405700702.post-14053163955863088232013-11-18T23:59:00.000-05:002013-11-18T23:59:00.284-05:00What autism really is<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><b>Written by Neurodivergent K</b></i></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Originally posted at <a href="http://timetolisten.blogspot.com/2013/11/what-autism-really-is.html">Radical Neurodivergence Speaking</a></i></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">So Suzanne Wright from Autism$peaks sent out more of the same hatemongering that was tired before her grandson was even born, about how autism is terrible because the faaaaaaaaaaaamilies and we might eat food from the fridge or something and that's the worst thing ever.</span><br style="line-height: 18px;" /><br style="line-height: 18px;" /><span style="line-height: 18px;">That is not what autism is.</span><br style="line-height: 18px;" /><br style="line-height: 18px;" /><span style="line-height: 18px;">This is autism:</span><br style="line-height: 18px;" /></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDPHh77CLgdA3CLRwS1LazyLIzkLFclP16NoUB9UmUhqOgvXWFmyvuPzVe4rlSg4RbUDwxSR_NLQNNPbr1uL0LLdYQs2SSsgrQUE2RNkLlAfmcTun4Snx9hkgpFjutThzTVNrmkAfhvGU/s1600/0529132032.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img alt="one very fair skinned female presenting person with light brown hair & a pink hoodie and a pink and purple haired fair skinned person with glasses, an orange shirt, and a white shoulder riding cat" border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDPHh77CLgdA3CLRwS1LazyLIzkLFclP16NoUB9UmUhqOgvXWFmyvuPzVe4rlSg4RbUDwxSR_NLQNNPbr1uL0LLdYQs2SSsgrQUE2RNkLlAfmcTun4Snx9hkgpFjutThzTVNrmkAfhvGU/s320/0529132032.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 1px 1px 5px; border: 1px solid rgb(236, 236, 236); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px; position: relative;" title="one very fair skinned female presenting person with light brown hair & a pink hoodie and a pink and purple haired fair skinned person with glasses, an orange shirt, and a white shoulder riding cat" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br style="line-height: 18px;" /><span style="line-height: 18px;">Autism is friendship, the kind you can only have when you meet someone who is like you. Allistic people don't so much understand what that is, because they expect that most people are on their wavelength. But Autistic people know how special that is, because it is rare and it is precious. Someone who understands intuitively, who speaks your language, is worth their weight in something way more valuable than gold.</span><br style="line-height: 18px;" /><br style="line-height: 18px;" /><span style="line-height: 18px;">And autism is community that comes together. There's this idea that we can't do that, but that idea is wrong. Never have I ever seen another community that takes care of its own so much. We have our issues, as all communities do, but we also have fierce loyalty and ferociously fight for and care for our own. We know what it is to not have that. Again, we know how beautiful that is once we find it.</span><br style="line-height: 18px;" /></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-F79YB6XxhsyYHI_CbODFS4y7rQGOwK8EvHZiwTMZDFTWl1AC91uLRE1OXXxvXgWOapR4qM08CRD2zbSFPKbQAUykVxVWvBWyL1oV7VZD_4ZDQxOPxEYUiB2shnviWhMKFM6yUbypsh8/s1600/offacliff.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-F79YB6XxhsyYHI_CbODFS4y7rQGOwK8EvHZiwTMZDFTWl1AC91uLRE1OXXxvXgWOapR4qM08CRD2zbSFPKbQAUykVxVWvBWyL1oV7VZD_4ZDQxOPxEYUiB2shnviWhMKFM6yUbypsh8/s320/offacliff.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 1px 1px 5px; border: 1px solid rgb(236, 236, 236); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px; position: relative;" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br style="line-height: 18px;" /><span style="line-height: 18px;">Autism is adventure. Or craving it at least. Jumping into that freezing cold water because it was there. And then jumping in again and again because it was freezing but it was a delight every single time. It may not be the normal thing to do, but it was better than normal. It was exhilarating.</span><br style="line-height: 18px;" /><br style="line-height: 18px;" /><span style="line-height: 18px;">Jumping into that water? I felt more alive than I think most people ever do. It was just me, the air, then the water. The sensation of my stomach rising? Stopped time until the water woke me up. It was actual perfection in an experience.</span><br style="line-height: 18px;" /></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCg4cXkR-gZCXFIqC9nMbAY_8MOCrAZAG0n9LluEKzWmi4LmBCWoIqGpcGLQxhXGl8wZl7GXStMTQcpBVM-vmaq6o1k07Z2MRQZWSFQt8ymNwJ1UI0KrKx0Ezriw62JUNDG39W6HnjYH4/s1600/doublestag.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img alt="black and white photo of a dark haired fair skinned person doing a leap. their back foot is up by their head and their front knee is bent at an acute angle" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCg4cXkR-gZCXFIqC9nMbAY_8MOCrAZAG0n9LluEKzWmi4LmBCWoIqGpcGLQxhXGl8wZl7GXStMTQcpBVM-vmaq6o1k07Z2MRQZWSFQt8ymNwJ1UI0KrKx0Ezriw62JUNDG39W6HnjYH4/s320/doublestag.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 1px 1px 5px; border: 1px solid rgb(236, 236, 236); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px; position: relative;" title="black and white photo of a dark haired fair skinned person doing a leap. their back foot is up by their head and their front knee is bent at an acute angle" width="240" /></span></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br style="line-height: 18px;" /><span style="line-height: 18px;">Autism is focus. This leap is called a double stag. My focus was right on the sole of my foot, visually speaking. Internally speaking it was only on what I was doing. There was no thought as traditionally described. There was me, music, the mat, and movement. That's it. I can do that. I cannot meditate in the usual sense, but I can become one with movement. Everything else goes away.</span><br style="line-height: 18px;" /><br style="line-height: 18px;" /><span style="line-height: 18px;">So it is when I am focusing on something that I love. The way I love? It is deep. Autism is deep love. People write it off as special interest or obsession, but even if it's not something I can excel at, I can excel at loving what I love, loving what I do, loving who I love. Autism is being able to be consumed by love and interest, it is giving 100% because it is an insult to the thing one loves to give any less. Autism is going big or going home.</span><br style="line-height: 18px;" /><br style="line-height: 18px;" /><span style="line-height: 18px;">Autism is finding myself and losing everything else while jumping, flipping, spinning. And this is the best thing ever.</span><br style="line-height: 18px;" /></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-odxrmitusb0bpNfn5nfWeLk1IIMCBbxTH2c6qdHA-uvaa0_GbVWhvek8-u_2bzpXU7mRSwRJYbEPvkBtaeH-RlBA3b7A7spoOdY3DkoRR_x95RFTY5_xMp5ScT1QKyM3-xoKtB-5ItI/s1600/kassianeandleo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img alt="dark haired fair skinned adult female presenting person and dark haired fairer skinned boy presenting person on a couch. they are smiling and the boy is pressing his forehead and shoulder into the adult" border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-odxrmitusb0bpNfn5nfWeLk1IIMCBbxTH2c6qdHA-uvaa0_GbVWhvek8-u_2bzpXU7mRSwRJYbEPvkBtaeH-RlBA3b7A7spoOdY3DkoRR_x95RFTY5_xMp5ScT1QKyM3-xoKtB-5ItI/s320/kassianeandleo.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 1px 1px 5px; border: 1px solid rgb(236, 236, 236); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px; position: relative;" title="dark haired fair skinned adult female presenting person and dark haired fairer skinned boy presenting person on a couch. they are smiling and the boy is pressing his forehead and shoulder into the adult" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br style="line-height: 18px;" /><span style="line-height: 18px;">And now we are back to autism is love and community. Autism is also sharing. Autism is knowing people because of autism. My young friend, Leo of </span><a href="http://squidalicious.com/" style="line-height: 18px; text-decoration: none;">Squidalicious</a><span style="line-height: 18px;"> fame, shared with me. He shared his iPad and his stims and his love. And he and his family are just a few of the many people I care about deeply who I would not have met if there was no such thing as autism.</span><br style="line-height: 18px;" /><br style="line-height: 18px;" /><span style="line-height: 18px;">No one ever said that being Autistic is easy. But we do say that it's worth it. We're okay. We love and deserve to be loved.</span></span>This is Autismhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10387143599551457657noreply@blogger.com107tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6744594626405700702.post-81726760300810318482013-11-18T23:45:00.000-05:002013-11-18T23:45:00.047-05:00THIS is Autism (Jane Strauss)<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Written by Jane Strauss</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Originally published at <a href="http://www.facebook.com/notes/jane-strauss-%C3%A2%C3%BB/this-is-autism/10151981252050813">her Facebook page</a></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">THIS is Autism</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is Autism: marching to a different drummer, following your passions, never fitting in, except at a cost --and being a valuable member of society worthy of respect.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is Autism: Using your analytical skills to literally do what your job description for Organizational Board Member says you are supposed to do and constantly being at odds with the rest of the Board because your view is different. Earning the "Ignore Me At Your Peril" Award, specially devised for you, from that same organization -- four years later.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is Autism: Failing the standardized hand-eye discrimination test. Coming home and making 3-d line drawings of things you like.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is Autism: Receiving Mental Retardation and Related services as a preschooler because it is the 1980s and the US does not recognize Autism apart from Cognitive Impairment - let alone as a Spectrum - let alone in females. Being assessed for learning differences, dyslexia and dysgraphia --- and all the school psychologist wants to discuss is your extreme giftedness, which your parents had noticed long before.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is Autism: Being thought to be average because the school uses a drawing tool to assess creativity and your ability with a writing instrument is delayed. Becoming an award-winning film maker and instructor as a teen and adult.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is Autism: Being slow to start reading, until you find something in which you are interested. Reading thousands of pages of adult level material in a summer. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is Autism: Not talking until past age three and having severe sensory integration issues. Becoming the PCA, teacher, and Aide of choice for kids on spectrum because you understand what is happening and can act accordingly.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is Autism: Working with the public, full days, all week, with polite scripting and encyclopedic knowledge of the store in which you work. Earning the highest level of customer service award for your helpful, polite and kind demeanor and genuine wish to be helpful. Being afraid to disclose because of fear your employer, a corporate supporter of Auti$m $peaks will discharge you because they think Autism is Something Else.</span></div>
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This is Autismhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10387143599551457657noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6744594626405700702.post-14904860504308616542013-11-18T23:30:00.000-05:002013-11-18T23:30:03.023-05:00Autism is looking at the world sideways<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><i>Written by and originally posted at <span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://logicalabsurdity.tumblr.com/post/67366037792/this-is-autism">logicalabsurdity</a></span></i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Autism is looking at the world sideways</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Autism is seeing, hearing, feeling, tasting, smelling, everything’s <em>more</em>, everything’s<em>sharp</em>, and sometimes that’s too much but sometimes it’s just exactly enough (and anyway it’s the only thing I’ve ever known)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Continue reading at <a href="http://logicalabsurdity.tumblr.com/post/67366037792/this-is-autism" style="background-color: transparent; white-space: pre-wrap;">logicalabsurdity</a></b></span></div>
This is Autismhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10387143599551457657noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6744594626405700702.post-38045152938263208722013-11-18T23:27:00.002-05:002013-11-18T23:27:08.983-05:00What is Autism? (Iris Gray) <span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><b>Written by <span style="color: #222222;">Iris Gray</span></b></i></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Originally posted at <a href="http://purpleaspie.wordpress.com/2013/11/18/what-is-autism/">Purple Aspie</a></i></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What is autism? That’s a good question. There’s no real answer to it, because autism is different things to different people. To some, autism is a curse that must be eradicated. To others, it’s a variation in human evolution.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I can speak only for myself and what autism is to me.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Autism is a part of me. It is a part of me that most of the time is neither good nor bad but is simply there. I have blue eyes, I have blonde hair, and I am autistic. That’s just the way things are. As Lady Gaga would say, I was born this way.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There are times when autism can be annoying or frustrating. These are usually times when my sensory issues or social skills deficits get in the way of my doing something that I want to do. That doesn’t mean that autism is bad. It’s just that being autistic can be more challenging than being neurotypical.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There are times when autism can be rewarding and fulfilling. When I attend autism conferences and spend time with other neurodiverse people, I have an amazing time and come away enriched. When I can figure out a problem by thinking differently, I’m thrilled. When my sensitive hearing enables me to hear something that others have trouble with, it’s like I’m rewarded for being autistic.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What is autism? Autism is my friends. Autism is my community.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Autism is me.</span></span></div>
This is Autismhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10387143599551457657noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6744594626405700702.post-41536194612267614862013-11-18T23:25:00.001-05:002013-11-18T23:33:56.486-05:00Patterns, processes, and a PhD<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: #444444; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><i>Written by spockette</i></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #444444; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #444444; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I am an autistic adult woman. I see patterns, hear music perfectly in my head, and notice things others don’t. I commune with cats, and am intensely loyal to those I grow to trust.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #444444; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I almost did not graduate from high school, and there were not high hopes for my success. My parents believed in me, though. Because of their support, and the willingness of others to accept me for who I am, I have made it to where I am today. I’m nearly 30 and am pursuing a PhD in a field which suits my natural talents. I still have trouble turning in assignments. I think part of this is because I don’t know where to start.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPv_XuhfWj1rBIpOTXGBQsmZhXpzahioSd1nSVh5JGGBkx7Y0sf0EdQO1o1b4TQRhyarBzgto439x949iqwy2_MRF76R5ROUtyb0X4osT3Fcevg_0iqX_8W4_0EKopjrngbzijmig_GN9p/s1600/tia-2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPv_XuhfWj1rBIpOTXGBQsmZhXpzahioSd1nSVh5JGGBkx7Y0sf0EdQO1o1b4TQRhyarBzgto439x949iqwy2_MRF76R5ROUtyb0X4osT3Fcevg_0iqX_8W4_0EKopjrngbzijmig_GN9p/s320/tia-2.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #444444; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I took down a blog several years ago because I was not comfortable, and attacked by people who didn’t understand. I’m still here, and I’ve grown. If you have an autistic child, or know someone on spectrum, celebrate the way they grow with them, please. It’s unique and beautiful.</span></span></div>
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This is Autismhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10387143599551457657noreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6744594626405700702.post-21554311720486277282013-11-18T23:25:00.000-05:002013-11-18T23:25:00.264-05:00This is Autism (Erica A. Wise<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<b><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Written by <span style="background-color: transparent;">Erica A. Wise</span></span></i></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"This is the week America will fully wake up to the Autism Crisis.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If three million children in America one day went missing--what would we as a country do?"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">These are the opening lines of Suzanne Wright's call to action for Autism Speaks policy and action summit in Washington this week. Later in her call to arms, she says things like "These families are not living." "This is autism. Life is lived moment to moment...in despair...in fear of the future."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I want to set the record straight. Our family is living, our lives are not full of despair, nor do we fear the future. Life is lived with an appreciation of moment to moment that I wish I could have gotten when I was an anxious twenty something, biting my nails about my own future. Most of all, my two autistic, unusual kitties are not missing. If anything they are more present, most definitely here, living life loudly, messily, sometimes joyfully, pretty much like the more typical children of my acquaintance, except maybe sometimes a little more so. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'm not going to surround our lives with pretty sparkles. That loud and messy part is definitely sometimes too loud, too messy. My kids need supports that most of the other kids can do without and the struggles of each age are often more intense. Being their parent is a challenging job. So much of what is difficult though, is dealing with a society that isn't sure how to deal with them. I won't say our lives are just exactly like the lives of the more typical families around us. But they are our lives, our busy, hectic, frustrating, interesting, funny lives. In that way we are just like the millions of other families with kids in this country.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">That is the reason to have a national plan, because we are a part of this nation, and we deserve a voice. We deserve a voice that doesn't believe that the nation would be better served by making sure there aren't more kids like mine. A voice that that thinks telling the world that we are a burden, a cause for despair, and a scourge or an epidemic is somehow helpful to us. In case it isn't obvious, it's not helpful. My children, their parents, and autistic people throughout the nation have plenty to contribute. Every person has the ability to change the world for the better, autistic or not. I hope we can support champions who are in favor of finding ways to help every person share their abilities, without this terrible assumption that somehow we can know what that contribution will be, before a child is even grown, before an adult life has been fully lived.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So, to me, saying "This is Autism" is the same as saying "This is our lives". Autism is children who meow and hiss at me when they are angry. Autism is a little boy who has a plastic dinosaur for a buddy. Autism is feeling like red touches your soul. Autism is knowing that in the future you are going to invent the most awesome thing ever. Autism is worrying that your children are going to be mad scientists who rule the world. Autism is thinking they might also be the super-heroes who save the world. Autism is needing to go into a quiet room to talk to a friend. Autism is knowing the importance of that friend. Autism is hearing that far away sound that no one else hears yet, and letting the group know the train is coming. Autism is feeling like you will never see again if the flash bulb goes off. Autism is knowing exactly where all the light switches are, even though you've only been here once before. Autism is having so much energy you have to just shoot yourself straight up into the air like a rocket. Autism is feeling so tired that you just need to lie down right here. Autism is not always understanding what people mean when they say things. Autism is sometimes understanding just what people mean down underneath everything they are saying. It's living our lives. For me it's also raising our children. The real children that we do have, not the ones we imagined might appear, but the kids that are living right here. Autism is being human, and both the same and a little different than everyone else who is human. </span></div>
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This is Autismhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10387143599551457657noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6744594626405700702.post-355345227785986952013-11-18T23:20:00.000-05:002013-11-18T23:20:00.244-05:00This is Autism (Bridget Allen)<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Written by <span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Bridget Allen </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Originally posted at It’s Bridget’s Word</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What follows is my contribution to the <a href="http://http//thisisautismflashblog.blogspot.com/" sl-processed="1" style="color: #5f5f5f;" target="_blank">This is Autism flash blog</a>, where many wonderful people have pieces that bring to life the <a href="https://ollibean.com/2013/11/18/autism/" sl-processed="1" style="color: #5f5f5f;" target="_blank">beauty of divergent neurology</a>. They are <a href="http://http//raisingrebelsouls.blogspot.com/2013/11/raising-rebel-souls-this-is-autism_18.html" sl-processed="1" style="color: #5f5f5f;" target="_blank">positive</a> and <a href="http://http//emmashopebook.com/2013/11/18/this-is-autism-written-by-emma/" sl-processed="1" style="color: #5f5f5f;" target="_blank">glorious</a> and you will be enriched by reading them.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">However, bear with me while I am slightly less sunny. I am recovering from a couple of weeks of trying to be a part of the world and getting smacked down with one access fail after another. I am cranky.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Suzanne Wright is the co-founder of Autism Speaks along with her husband Bob. Last week, she wrote a vile fear mongering <a href="http://www.donotlink.com/cbW" sl-processed="1" style="color: #5f5f5f;" target="_blank">piece of hate speech</a>, which is not shocking because fear and demonization is Autism Speaks bread and butter. They have used fear and money to build an empire bent on wiping autistic people out of existence. What shocked me was that this piece struck a nerve with so many people who had overlooked <a href="http://www.donotlink.com/cbX" sl-processed="1" style="color: #5f5f5f;" target="_blank">Autism Every Day</a> and <a href="http://autisticadvocacy.org/2009/09/horrific-autism-speaks-i-am-autism-ad-transcript/" sl-processed="1" style="color: #5f5f5f;" target="_blank">I am Autism</a>. She explained that autism is living in fear. In that we agree, but while her fear is of naked hopping autistic refrigerator raiders making parents lives dreadfully inconvenient, my fear is of people, fueled by the rhetoric of the Wrights and others of their ilk, who want me dead.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ms. Wright, <b>This is Autism</b>, the Autism you helped create.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>This is Autism: </b>Autism is having to work too hard.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The cultural pressure to pass is so intense, my failed attempts sneak up on me. Being natural or relaxed in public is impossible. While I’m a few generations too old to have been subjected to ABA therapy, the ABA paradigm colors how the world views us. Indistinguishable is good. Anything else is dangerous.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>This is Autism: </b>Autism is having needs treated as preferences.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Recently, I was to be involved in a project, about which I was very e</span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.200000762939453px;">xcited, designed to further the empowerment of individuals with developmental disabilities, but my statement of access needs, in writing, through proper channels, was ignored. I was not warned ahead of time that the environment would contain the very seizure triggers I specifically mentioned in my registration. I tried to tough it out, but after three seizures (not counting absence seizures) in less than two days, I had to admit defeat.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.200000762939453px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Understand, I was dealing with people who are professionals in the field of developmental disability. These are the people who should already get it. By no means is a seizure disorder autism, but I do not doubt that my autism is why my needs were not taken seriously. It has happened too many times to be a coincidence. Autistic needs are viewed as wants, then labeled Behaviors. We are expected to control those Behaviors, or have them trained out of us.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>This is Autism: </b>Autism is having to explain myself over and over when explaining is the hardest thing to do.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When I use verbal speech to communicate, understand I am meeting you considerably more than halfway. I am expending energy that takes away from my responsibilities and loved ones. My reserves are not unlimited. If I then have to explain the same thing over and over again because it “doesn’t make sense” to you when I “look normal” or because you “know this other individual with autism who does that just fine” you insult me.* If you cannot give me enough time to form words without talking over me and (incorrectly) finishing my thoughts, you are disrespectful.<br />*actual quotes</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>This is Autism: </b>Autism is knowing no matter what, the majority of people I encounter will always view me as a little less than fully human. That is your legacy, Ms. Wright. In eight short years, you changed the dialogue surrounding autism.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />That is powerful, and impressive, and so very wrong.</span></span></div>
This is Autismhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10387143599551457657noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6744594626405700702.post-72056880236034215382013-11-18T23:16:00.000-05:002013-11-18T23:16:00.818-05:00A Glimpse Into His World<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
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<span style="color: #222222; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Originally Posted on <a href="http://dailycoloringoutsidethelines.wordpress.com/2013/11/19/a-glimpse-into-his-world/">Coloring Outside the Lines</a> </span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This week has seen a flurry in the Autism community in response to a piece written by Suzanne Wright on Monday November 11, 2013 - the eve before an Autism Summit in Washington D.C. It got me thinking about the past seven years as I have experienced parenting a child on the spectrum. After a week of introspection this is what I have come up with:</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My son is a study in contradictions.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">He loves to snuggle, give people (even random strangers) hugs, and is constantly touching anyone within his sphere. However, you need permission to be in his bubble, he has to be in a mood for us to give him hugs, he hates having his head touched, and don't even try giving him a massage - they hurt. BUT, he sleeps under a ton of blankets, loves to be squished between bean bags, and swing or rock. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">He struggles with receptive and expressive language, yet his facial expressions speak a thousand words. Although he is fully verbal and for the most part can tell us what he wants there are times when he talk in circles and his conversations don't make sense. Other times he busts out with a song like "Onomatopoeia" out of the blue and will then sit for what feels like an eternity as I show him videos with examples of figurative speech. (He must be learning about Onomatopoeia at school today, it was a phrase that came up quite often before he headed for bed.).</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">He loves to watch "My Little Pony", "Sophia the First" "Thomas the Train" and "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" but not if they are too scary. then again, it doesn't bother him to pretend to play zombies, or shooting games no matter how many times they have been banned at our house.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">He will spend hours playing with his trains, building tunnels, drawing pictures of amusement parks, trains, planes and automobiles. However getting him to sit for fifteen minutes and do a math page is like pulling teeth - unless you use manipulatives, then maybe you can get him to sit for twenty minutes (more like stand, or swivel on a wheelie chair).</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">His normal talking voice is what everyone else uses as an outside voice, yet his sisters sweet little voice often sends him into tears of frustration as he screams "You're hurting my ears." </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">He is afraid of jungle gyms with bridges, but adores fast roller coasters and monkey bars.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The first way you do something with him is usually how he wants to do it for the next million years, and if you change things you have to let him know ahead of time and predict with him about what things will look like. On the other hand he loves to be in complete control of his environment and even though he knows the routine at school he will negotiate every last task. His teachers are learning that not negotiating with him is an exercise in futility.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My son faces an obstacle course each day. Each day the path changes. Some days are easier than others. I know that what my son struggles with is no where near the struggles of other children facing the challenges of more severe autism, but in our family's situation I have to disagree with Suzanne Wright.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My family lives! We live moment to moment sometimes - and other times our lives are very scripted and routine-istic. I don't live in despair, but I do have some fears for the future (I don't think I would be a mother if I didn't). As a mother I do have my good days, and bad days. I also have them as a wife, a friend, a sister, a daughter. Some days I am emotionally, physically and mentally depleted - but so is every other human being on the planet. We all have bad days, and to be honest I think we have more good days then bad.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Yes, I still have to buy pull-ups - and he still has to have an extra pair of clothes at school - but you know what that is okay, and each time he has an accident we quietly move on and we don't make a big deal. HE MAKES a big deal when he realizes that he had a dry night. We let him lead, we will follow. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">No, we can't afford those costly trips to the doctor that specializes in autism, and we worry about how we can afford the occupational therapy that he needs for sensory regulation, thank goodness he gets speech therapy at school and that there are programs out there like Touchpoint Autism Services that provide ABA therapy for my kiddo (and give me some great strategies). Yes, we have been on waiting lists for things - but it teaches us patience. I wish our insurance paid for everything - but they don't pay for everything that I need for my own physical ailments. This week I will be attending another IEP meeting to fight tooth and nail for my son to get the services that he needs. If he doesn't get what I feel he needs, than I will continue to advocate for change and supplement what he isn't getting at school at home. (One of the blessing my kiddo has from having a reading teacher as a mommy.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The other day my husband and I had a heart to heart talk. He said "Let's face it, we need help." We need emotional support. We need to be in a better financial place (but that is driven just as much by the economy as it is driven by the cost of supporting our son), and I would love for my son to have better access to therapy. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Most importantly my son is not lost. He may sometimes appear to be lost in his own little world at times, but he is slowly letting us in, and catching glimpses of his world is miraculous. I'd like to live in his world more often, to be perfectly honest. I have Specific Learning Disorder. It took me a long time to learn how to read, and I needed someone to show me unique ways of processing information. I'm grateful for learning how to overcome my struggles. When I look at my son I wish that he didn't have moments that completely debilitate him emotionally, I wish I could make things easier for him - but then I am reminded that through our struggles and weaknesses we become stronger. That is even more so in regards to my son. For every debilitating factor he struggles with there is so much more weighing on the positive side. </span></span></div>
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This is Autismhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10387143599551457657noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6744594626405700702.post-63618092927006454232013-11-18T23:15:00.000-05:002013-11-18T23:15:00.123-05:00This is my autism<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><b>Written by <span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Joanne Limburg</span></b></i></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is my autism: when I research a subject, I RESEARCH it.</span></span>This is Autismhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10387143599551457657noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6744594626405700702.post-12194656626531717152013-11-18T23:13:00.003-05:002013-11-18T23:13:32.527-05:00This is Autism (by Lief O'Neill age 10)<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 16.363636016845703px;">
<b><i>Written by Lief O'Neill</i></b></div>
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<i>This was written by Lief O'Neill, a ten year old autistic boy who types to communicate. Lief recently became one of the first, non-speaking autistic people to receive a heart transplant. Receiving cutting edge life-saving medicine is the ultimate affirmation that an autistic life is worth living, worth saving and that our son is fully human and deserving of life and respect. He fought hard to save his own life and we are proud of him. He is a self-advocate from his first typed sentences and he was very happy to participate in this flashblog.</i></div>
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<i>This is what he had to say today.</i></div>
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"Autism is actual many different ways of being. Some people think it is a disease but it is a way of being. We are learning how we are special. Autistic kids are good. Autistic kids are smart and can get transplants. See me as smart."</div>
This is Autismhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10387143599551457657noreply@blogger.com40tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6744594626405700702.post-80324779309203867892013-11-18T23:05:00.000-05:002013-11-18T23:05:01.723-05:00This is autism flash blog - Monday, 18 November 2013<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><i>Written by and originally posted at <a href="http://cosmicautist.tumblr.com/post/67403475848/this-is-autism-flash-blog-monday-18-november-2013">Cosmic Autist</a></i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I Am Autistic.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Being autistic in my world means forgetting how to make friends in the seventh grade.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It means sleeping in the living room during the winter because the sound of the thermostat is so irritating.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It means falling in love with a topic.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It means being overjoyed when you FINALLY find the story of someone who THINKS LIKE YOU and becoming an expert on this new idol of yours.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It means being jealous of your neurotypical little sister because she doesn’t have to go to what you call “optional therapy”.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It means telling your mother for the next decade that sending you to said therapy was a waste of her money.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It means feeling attacked when someone you admire is attacked.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It means trying to go vegetarian at age ten or so and having your parents think you were just being a “picky eater” like usual.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It means not knowing how to explain that you didn’t eat dinner yesterday even though you were hungry, because you can’t stand the texture of baked potato skin.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It means dreading December during high school because everyone was required to participate in Secret Santa and make our gifts ourselves, and you never have a clue what to make for your person.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It means understanding your cat’s body language better than you understand your sister’s.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It means not knowing how to flirt with a guy until college despite desperately wanting a boyfriend since tenth grade.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It means forgetting to eat lunch because you were so busy reading about synesthesia.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It means having a meltdown in sixth grade because your teacher thinks she can force you to get along with the girl who picks on you.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It means appreciating your elementary school PE teacher long after elementary school for picking the teams himself during class so people like you wouldn’t get picked last.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It means never having stage fright or test anxiety but being terrified to drive or cook.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It means grieving your Pokemon Crystal game after twelve years when the battery finally dies.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It means waffling about whether you should tell the rest of your improvisational acting class that you are autistic.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It means secretly copyediting Wikipedia at the age of sixteen.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It means playing the same minigames on Microsoft Encarta every time you used it as a kid.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It means playing your sister’s copy of JumpStart Second Grade years after you finished second grade yourself.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is me.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is autism.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Your mileage may vary. It probably will.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But autism is not the enemy. Ableism is the enemy.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Cure ableism.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Cure epilepsy.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Don’t cure us. We won’t let it happen.</span><br />
<br />This is Autismhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10387143599551457657noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6744594626405700702.post-4673576554975147352013-11-18T23:03:00.002-05:002013-11-18T23:03:48.200-05:00This Is Autism. An interview with 9-year old Bean.<b><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Written by and originally published at <a href="http://deceivinglynormal.wordpress.com/2013/11/18/this-is-autism-an-interview-with-bean/">Deceivingly Normal</a></span></i></b><br />
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<a href="http://deceivinglynormal.files.wordpress.com/2013/11/20131118-223307.jpg" sl-processed="1" style="border: 0px; color: #333333; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img alt="20131118-223307.jpg" class="alignnone size-full" src="http://deceivinglynormal.files.wordpress.com/2013/11/20131118-223307.jpg?w=500" style="border: 0px; height: auto; margin-bottom: 2px; max-width: 100%;" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I decided to ask Bean what Autism is in the spirit of the AutismFlashBlog going on (<a href="http://autismblogsdirectory.blogspot.ca/2013/11/this-is-autism-flash-blog.html" sl-processed="1" style="border: 0px; color: #333333; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">check it out</a>).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is how it went down:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">>Bean, do you know what Autism is?</span></div>
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<em style="border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I don’t know<br />And I don’t really care.</span></em></div>
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<em style="border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I don’t know about Autism and Asperger’s.</span></em></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">>Do you think Autism is good, or bad, or just a thing that is.</span></div>
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<em style="border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I don’t know if it is good or bad. I really don’t know actually. It is just me.</span></em></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">>Asperger’s is a type of Autism and Asperger’s basically means that you think differently than others. That you may see things differently and feel things differently. Perhaps when someone looks at a car they just see a car. But when you look at a car you see the patterns on the license plate, or the colours in it and a scratch that nobody else notices. Sometimes you might be overwhelmed because you notice too much, too many sounds, too much light. But it is your ability to really see things that helps you to see things others sometimes miss. And because you like to really know things about things you like, and you learn all about them and never get tired or learning about it or practicing, you become a specialist in things. And that is really cool!</span></div>
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<em style="border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I see your eyes and your nose and your blond hair and your shirt, with the lines in it. Scritchy. And the wall with its lightish colour and the spots on it.</span></em></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">>Sometimes it can be challenging to be autistic. To think differently and have people not understand the things you do.</span></div>
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<em style="border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I don’t like it when people ask me to repeat something they said, like “say sorry”. I just can’t. I can’t say their words.</span></em></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">>That’s true. You can’t do that. Maybe someone without Asperger’s might be able to do it more easily, even if they didn’t want to, but you really can’t. And that’s kind of cool, because you stay true to yourself. You will say sorry if you feel badly, but you will say it your way.</span></div>
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<em style="border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Yeah, I can’t really say other peoples words. I can’t.</span></em></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">>So, now that we’ve talked about it, and you understand a bit better…what do you think Autism is?</span></div>
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<em style="border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Autism is actually being different. Some people have an autism that is less than others and those people can be in groups more easily because not everybody knows they have autism. But the others, he has more autism and he is bullied. And that is wrong because he shouldn’t be.</span></em></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Because some people that have different autisms kinda can’t really speak English, and they have trouble with things and fitting in and they are more easily bullied. People don’t understand them and they can’t say what they are needing or feeling.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Bullies look for people who are the easiest. And that’s wrong because if you have a more autism and you can’t protect yourself and people should be kind to everybody because everybody needs a friend.</span></div>
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<em style="border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Everybody has to have a friend.<br />Bullies don’t like peopel with friends. Nobody should be bullied.</span></em></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">>Do you know which type of autism you have?</span></div>
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<em style="border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I don’t know.<br />Less autism.<br />I know because if I had the more then I would know because you can’t really talk. Maybe they can’t hear or something.</span></em></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">(I interject with an explanation about what deaf means and how anybody – autistic or not – can be deaf)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">>Do you think that people who have “more autism” are able to communicate with others?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em style="border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Yes. But I don’t know how</em>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">(I explain some different methods of communication)</span></div>
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<em style="border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Oh. Ok.</span></em></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">(I ask if she would be friends with someone who had more autism than herself)</span></div>
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<em style="border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I would.<br />Because just because you are different doesn’t mean you do not deserve a friend. Maybe he can’t speak but maybe he is still wanting friends. Bullies do not like him having friends because with friends they cannot pick on you because your friends stick up with you.</span></em></div>
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<em style="border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now that’s enough autism talk.<br />Let’s go to bed now.</span></em></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">>Ok buddy.</span></div>
This is Autismhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10387143599551457657noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6744594626405700702.post-52053159328159031912013-11-18T23:00:00.000-05:002013-11-18T23:00:00.309-05:00This is Autism (Cinder McDonald)<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><i>Written by <span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Cinder McDonald</span></i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'm autistic. So is my 21 year old daughter. So is my 41 year old brother.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My brother was diagnosed in a different era, back when the word autism conferred much blame on the parents. They moved to another state, they hid his diagnosis under other labels. Being unaware of labels and stigma, I taught him things. His first sign, at age 5. How to swim, how to do jigsaw puzzles, how to read. I saw a brother who could do many things, if one were patient and took their time. One time, when he was 7, the doctors ranked him low on a nonverbal IQ test because he would not stack blocks. He didn't like blocks. What he liked to stack were red Solo cups. That he was quite capable of stacking didn't matter to them, because he didn't do it their way. That day, my brother taught me something about people and their perceptions, and it's a lesson that's stuck with me.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My daughter is a talented artist, and she has mastered a number of mediums - she paints, sews, sculpts, knits, weaves, makes jewelry. When she was little, she would pull clothes of Barbies and adapt them for her beloved Beanie Babies. As she got older, she announced that she wanted to be a costume designer. A principal when she was a high school freshman told her that she should focus on becoming a ticket taker at a movie theater as her vocational goal. She signed up for Voc Rehab and they told her she needed to be "practical". She is in college, studying fashion design, and a few months ago, she participated in a local fashion show where she walked the runway wearing her own designs. She and her friends are constantly creating all kinds of stuff. She will have a great future.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'm so sick of Autism Speaks' negativity. I'm tired of their patronizing attitude that they "know best" for us. I'm weary of them presuming that they know anything about my life or the lives of the many autistic people I know. I've raised two generation of autistics and while it's not easy, it's not the way Autism Speaks presents it. They are dehumanizing our children and portraying parents as their helpless victims. We are not victims of our children, rather the truth is that we, our children and adults with autism are victims of an brutal system of care that has little understanding of autism. Autism Speaks is a parasite that feeds off that injustice, fans the flames of prejudice and then doesn't use the money they raise to help individuals and families in need. They take money away from the few organizations that are out there, actually doing the work.</span></div>
This is Autismhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10387143599551457657noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6744594626405700702.post-58697233660959352332013-11-18T22:56:00.002-05:002013-11-18T22:56:56.436-05:00Autism is simply...HUMANITY in its PUREST FORM.<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
<b><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Written by Sandy Kinnamon</span></i></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Autism is the love expressed in the eyes of my beautiful 3 year old daughter Emily, so deep and intense my heart nearly bursts.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Autism is the flappier her hands, the happier she is...on her tippy toes all the while</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Autism is the <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1547918509" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">4 am</span></span> waking giggles letting me know she doesn't merely exist, but is happy to be alive</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Autism is the tears that come when she suddenly says, "I love you" or gives me a big wet kiss</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Autism is the grabbing of my hand, that signals...I want to be with YOU Mommy, my best friend</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Autism is the only thing that was capable of mending the tear in my once long ago broken heart.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Autism is simply...HUMANITY in its PUREST FORM.</span></div>
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This is Autismhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10387143599551457657noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6744594626405700702.post-43013493876727680862013-11-18T22:55:00.001-05:002013-11-18T22:55:18.491-05:00THIS IS AUTISM and its really quite (complicated and) great<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><b>Written by An Anonymous Newtown Autistic</b></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Originally published at <a href="http://thatautisticthatnewtownforgot.blogspot.com/2013/11/part-of-this-is-autism-flashblog-this.html">That Autistic that Newtown Forgot</a></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> *A quick note on today’s flashblog ~ This is Autism. In response to Suzanne Wright’s upsetting and fear-inducing letter entitled A Call for Action a <a href="http://thisisautismflashblog.blogspot.ca/2013/11/about.html" style="-webkit-transition: color 0.3s; color: #009eb8; display: inline; outline: none; text-decoration: none; transition: color 0.3s;" target="_blank" title="This is Autism">Flashblog</a> has been organized to take back the phrase “this is autism”, which Suzanne Wright used several times in her letter that was posted on Autism Speaks’ website, the organization she and her husband Bob Wright created eight years ago.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">(Flash blog explanation borrowed from <a href="http://emmashopebook.com/" style="-webkit-transition: color 0.3s; color: #009eb8; display: inline; outline: none; text-decoration: none; transition: color 0.3s;">http://emmashopebook.com/</a> )</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is Autism:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">this is a life that sometimes catapults into hours of screaming but at other times amounts to hours of ruthless obsessive study of certain phenomenon</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">this is meowing in the hallways, moving hands up and down and walking without clear balance</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">and drawing for hours to try to capture the feelings which one had hours ago</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is Autism</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">this is having an outsider’s perspective on socializing, always ducking into a book or behind a laptop screen</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">this is experiencing not too little, but too much</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">being a devoted observer of background noises, of bright things behind people’s heads while they talk to you, of street signs, of birds and squirrels and trees</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is Autism</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">this is a culture of people who have little difficulty communicating with one another because they expect people who are autistic to never hold back the truth but to always ask before touching one another</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">this is a culture of those who think sitting on floors, flapping one’s hands and not making eye contact make perfect sense</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">this is a culture of people whose skills and abilities do differ and all of us come from differing circumstances,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">but all of us know extreme levels of anxiety;</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">all of us are in tune with parts of the world that others routinely ignore;</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">all of us are well springs of emotion that are often poorly expressed;</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">almost all of us know the feeling of being lost and having no one to whom we can express very well the truths of our worlds</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is Autism</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">many of us can’t “speak” orally</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">many of us don’t know what the hell those faces your making are supposed to mean</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">but our minds are fountains:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">fountains that sing with new and interesting thoughts</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">fountains full of ideas and possibilities</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">and even when we can’t vocalized</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">be assured that worlds are turning behind our eyes,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">things are being thought,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">knowledge is present</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Suzanne Wright doesn’t know what the hell she’s talking about</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">her autistic child has not grown up</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">if Mrs. Wright had not been drowned in medicalized discourses</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">to the point that she thinks a few differences in her child make it worthwhile to radically alter that child</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">perhaps she’d realize that her child has a future ahead of them!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A grand future!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Every one of us autistic individuals has a future and has contributions to make.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Autistic is not just a diagnosis turned into an identity, it’s a culture, it’s a way of life and it is a real community</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">To all who should ask:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is Autism</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">in all of its complexity</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is Autism</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">they can never simplify it</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">we are not holes in the floor</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">or silent gaps in the conversation</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is Autism</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">even if we don’t have any idea what you meant to say</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">or even if we said the wrong thing in the wrong situation</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is Autism</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">and its really quite great!</span></div>
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This is Autismhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10387143599551457657noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6744594626405700702.post-3673951321271204182013-11-18T22:55:00.000-05:002013-11-18T22:55:00.814-05:00We are autism. And we will not be silenced.<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><i>Written by and originally published at <a href="http://restlesshands42.wordpress.com/2013/11/18/this-is-autism-flash-blog/">Restless Hands</a></i></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is autism: “Ooh, stimmy!” used as an exclamation of excitement. Happy flaps at interesting patterns on the water, new colors on cars, math games, tricks of the light.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is autism: Friends with special interests and special considerations. Trying to figure out what to cook when multiple autistic friends are over for dinner to accommodate everyone’s dietary needs and sensory sensitivities = a fun challenge!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is autism: the kid I babysit puzzling out how to tell me something on his communication device– or relaxing in his hammock– clapping his hands at the park to hear the echos– his mischievous grin– his interesting ideas (waffles with mayo? OK, why not!)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is autism: Struggling to find the words sometimes. Avoiding loud places. Being tired out by chatter, by things other people don’t even notice. Pride in finding the right words. Strength in doing the things I can. Joy in spending time with a small group of friends.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is autism: learning new things every day. Not a puzzle, but a journey of life, in constant flux, unfolding like a flower, full of new things to discover like a starry sky, full of complexity and hope and wonder.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We are autism. And we will not be silenced.</span></div>
This is Autismhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10387143599551457657noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6744594626405700702.post-69867593755442192712013-11-18T22:54:00.000-05:002013-11-18T22:54:00.083-05:00This is Autism (@iloveofspeech)<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><b>Written by and originally published at <a href="http://alphabetsoupspeech.blogspot.com/2013/11/this-is-autism.html">Alphabet Soup Speech Consultants, LLC</a></b></i></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">A child spinning and smiling and laughing.</span><br style="line-height: 18px;" /><span style="line-height: 18px;">Perhaps flapping and hugging and dancing.</span><br style="line-height: 18px;" /><span style="line-height: 18px;">All of those things or none at all.</span><br style="line-height: 18px;" /><span style="line-height: 18px;">Perhaps more than those or less.</span><br style="line-height: 18px;" /><span style="line-height: 18px;">This is Autism.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><a href="http://alphabetsoupspeech.blogspot.com/2013/11/this-is-autism.html"><b>Continue reading</b></a></span></span></span>This is Autismhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10387143599551457657noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6744594626405700702.post-37051272186442128242013-11-18T22:52:00.000-05:002013-11-18T22:52:56.711-05:00This is Autism (Sandy Krause)<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><i>Written by Sandy Krause, Positive Proclamations</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Autism is called a spectrum because every person ‘on the spectrum’ is a unique individual. But aren’t we all? I have two kids on the spectrum. My son, 16 is a tall gentle soul. I’ll call him the blue soul. He is very intelligent and loves to research points of interest. More quiet, reserved but aware of the feelings around him. When visiting my mother in a memory care unit daily he formed a bond with a male resident there. The 92 year old man would get upset saying he couldn’t find him mother. My son would tell him it was OK, put his arm around him, the man would lean into my son and calm down. The staff said my son’s connection to him was stronger than anyone else they’d seen.<u></u><u></u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If a child cries my son is right there offering comfort. If someone is struggling on the stairs he lends an arm. He’s sensitive to others this way. When we’re out in public he says ‘hi’ to everyone, including the homeless woman on the corner, the scary looking dude at the bus stop, the mom and child at the store who weren’t speaking English. When the kids on our dead end street were playing on the steep hill, against the rules a girl fell. She broke her arm, she couldn’t get up. The other kids ran off afraid of getting in trouble. My son went to her, helped her up and got her to her house. He rose above and did the right thing. <u></u><u></u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My son has been in scouting since Tiger Cub. He’s now working on his Eagle Scout project. He’s had this goal from the beginning. He takes the scout oath and law very seriously. My son has been raised to love and accept all others, no exceptions. When BSA was deciding on whether to allow gay members he was torn by this conflict of morals. He felt strongly about the rights of all to be part of scouting, something he so values. He was willing to chuck his lifetime goal if BSA had not include all. This commitment to others is so rare in our world. His ultimate goal, to cure Alzheimer’s so no one else loses their grandma. And with his creative, need to know passion he’ll be the one to figure this out. <u></u><u></u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My daughter is 11, she’s an orange soul. She has spark, creative fire. At this age the behavior of most of the girls is odd to her. But didn’t we all go through this in middle school? She creates. She draws as well as most professional artists. Her singing voice is phenomenal, yet she lacks the confidence to sing solo publicly. She hears a song once and can play it on her trombone, the piano or sing it dead on first try. Inside is a constant flow of new beauty to let flow to the outside world. <u></u><u></u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Her spark shows brightly when she sees someone being harmed. Animals, little kids, the weak and defenseless have her as their guardian. She offers love to any critter she can. Little ones cry and she’s playing peek a boo to get them smiling again. If a weaker being is harmed she rises to protect them, fiercely. Little Mama Bear. Two younger kids, one started teasing and she stepped in and defended the tormented. A classmate whose words were hard to understand, she looked out for him, bonded with him and became his translator. <u></u><u></u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Someday she wants to be an artist. She wants to make things that say something to help people when they’re sad. She will lift up lost souls with her works, I have no doubt.<u></u><u></u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is autism, each child a unique, creative, loving gift who grow to become adults with great potential.<u></u><u></u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>A single act of kindness throws out roots in all directions, and the roots spring up and make new trees. Amelia Earhart</i><u></u><u></u></span></div>
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This is Autismhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10387143599551457657noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6744594626405700702.post-38776666849771512402013-11-18T22:47:00.002-05:002013-11-18T22:49:12.708-05:00Hope and Perseverance<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
<b><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Written by Patrick Kelty, Forward by his mom Dena</span></i></b></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"What follows is an essay my son wrote upon the 43rd anniversary of the loss of the Marshall University 1970 football team and boosters. Through a once in a lifetime opportunity, my son has found a supernatural connection to the phoenix-like renewal of Hope and Perseverance shared with the campus and the town. This is a young man diagnosed with classic autism, deemed uneducable, denied a meaningful educational opportunity until high school. But he learned despite them all and he graduated high school with a 3.1 gpa surrounded by his hockey team brothers. </span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now he's independently introduced himself to the iconic Red Dawson portrayed by Matthew Fox and Reggie Oliver, the team's quarterback in the aftermath and he's 'family' to them. </span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">He feels their pain, their renewal and their sorrow.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This tribute--this expression of feeling and connection and emotion.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Joy, opportunity, inclusion, belonging.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is autism.</span></i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCQOtoU6MDkuwFwwbLD3_3GNYf0t9pw5yiUZDL6xAYq1f6nlJuHEwW9F3gxCsJmD6cSGckBIomAIfgYqK_ylRcNZmtMvM9e5oIUUBEmiVM0bYMasfIKcaxJC3YsGcr7DF31h6ouP_FZ5Sb/s1600/tia-34a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCQOtoU6MDkuwFwwbLD3_3GNYf0t9pw5yiUZDL6xAYq1f6nlJuHEwW9F3gxCsJmD6cSGckBIomAIfgYqK_ylRcNZmtMvM9e5oIUUBEmiVM0bYMasfIKcaxJC3YsGcr7DF31h6ouP_FZ5Sb/s320/tia-34a.jpg" width="192" /></a></div>
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<span id="docs-internal-guid-4e7dd436-6e77-3caf-47a8-9ceea31e02f8"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Hope and Perseverance</span></b></span></span></div>
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<span id="docs-internal-guid-4e7dd436-6e77-3caf-47a8-9ceea31e02f8"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> My name is Patrick Kelty and I am a sophomore at Marshall. I’m able to be here because I am part of the Marshall University College Program for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder. This week I was honored to lay a rose at the Memorial Fountain for the first time and I wanted to share what it meant to me. It was especially good to do so in the name of Coach Rick Tolley. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> I am a person who learns a lot about the world by watching movies and when we started looking for a college for me, I watched the movie, “We Are Marshall”. As soon as I saw it, I knew Huntington was the right town for me. When I applied to MU, I wrote:</span></span></div>
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<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> “I feel very connected to Marshall because of the many chances that Marshall almost lost just like I did. Marshall was able to grab hold of new chances and hold onto them without giving up. So was the town. They kept going. It’s because of all they’ve been through, like me, that I have decided to call it Home. “</span></span></div>
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<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> So participating in the Memorial Service this week was a big honor for me. This was my second Memorial Service; last year I just watched but when I saw the rose ceremony, I knew I had to be a part of that. Bianca Hynes and Andy Burns from the College Program helped me. It just felt like the right thing to do, especially because of some of my most special friends that I’ve made here. From watching the movie, I recognized Coach Red Dawson. We have lunch together each week and we tailgate together and he’s come to my birthday party. When I see Coach at the ceremony I see how it still pains him but if he can be courageous and go on, I know I can continue to work hard to stay in school.</span></span></div>
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<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> I’ve also met Reggie Oliver when I saw him at the ceremony, he embraced me, thanking me for being there and he told me he loves me. I think he can see that my heart feels what all survivors feel—what it’s like to have pain and work hard to overcome hardship. Keith Morehouse overcame by following in his father’s footsteps. All of these men are honorable and courageous and what I strive to be.</span></span></div>
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<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> During the ceremony I feel like each of the 75 are standing before me, smiling. I feel them with me all the time and when I feel like giving up, it’s like they’re all right there, encouraging me. </span></span></div>
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<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> The town may have experienced a great loss but they managed to overcome it. Some people think it’s sad, but I think about my life with autism and how hard learning is for me but I had to dig down deep and keep learning even when people didn’t believe in me. So I know that a lot of my feelings come from watching the movie where people had to also dig down deep, and I feel it living on the campus where the fountain mourns the lost. But it all gives me hope. I believe that if Marshall could do it, I can do it, too. I will succeed at Marshall so I can get a job working in a museum in Washington, D.C. With the strength of my friends, and the Autism Program to help, there’s nothing I can’t do.</span></span></div>
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This is Autismhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10387143599551457657noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6744594626405700702.post-49699553953131727022013-11-18T22:45:00.004-05:002013-11-18T22:45:19.625-05:00a life overflowing with beauty<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><i>Contributed by Faith</i></b></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Emmett...just three...mischievous, funny, exuberant, problem solver extraordinaire, sometimes anxious, happy, sad, quiet, calm, expressive without words, bouncy, unique and beyond precious; a son, grandson, cousin, nephew, little brother, a friend, a life overflowing with beauty...this is Autism!</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>This is Autismhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10387143599551457657noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6744594626405700702.post-6415475438063688782013-11-18T22:45:00.000-05:002013-11-18T22:45:00.402-05:00This is autism (Pattie McCarthy)<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0px;">
<b><i><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Written by</span></span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Pattie McCarthy</span></i></b></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is autism.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Colin Meloy (of the Decembrists) said the following about his son, Hank, who is on the autism spectrum : "I think he is deeply, deeply weird, but we are into weirdness, are open to it, and find it charming & smart" (<a href="http://www.thinkingautismguide.com/2013/03/colin-meloy-and-postive-autism-parent.html" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">http://www.<wbr></wbr>thinkingautismguide.com/2013/<wbr></wbr>03/colin-meloy-and-postive-<wbr></wbr>autism-parent.html</a>). </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This wonderful interview with Meloy at The Thinking Person's Guide to Autism was not the first thing I ever read about parenting & autism. If only. The Thinking Person's Guide to Autism was not the first website or organization I found when I started researching the autism spectrum. If only. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">One of my three children has Asperger's. Can you tell which one?</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">One of them still sucks their thumb & sleeps with a blankie.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">One of them flaps their fingers.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">One of them screams if a stranger touches them.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">One of them plays lovely & atonal songs of their own invention on the piano.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">One of them has a sweet singing voice.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">One of them is not really into playing music— just wants to dance to it.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">One of them acquired language in the usual way.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Two of them never spoke toddler caveman language (me hungry!), </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">but rather went from single words straight to totally strange & beautiful sentences</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">("orange fishes big water, I want to kiss him," etc.).</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">One of them is obsessed with tiny animals.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">One of them is obsessed with trains.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">One of them is obsessed with excavators.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">One of them sleeps like a champ.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">One of them wakes up at 5.00 am every day.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">One of them still sleeps with me & my husband half the time.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">None of them like to wear clothes that aren't made of natural fibers.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">None of them really want to look you in the eye. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">All of them over-empathize.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">All of them are hyperverbal, according to their pediatrician.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I don't mean to suggest that my autistic kid doesn't have very real challenges. But my Aspie has some things easier than my NT children— is friendlier to strangers/adults, is an extrovert, is really motivated to be a good student, is ambidextrous, is a strong reader, etc. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I do not recognize my child in the language of Autism Speaks. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"Autism is a method of energy," writes Emma, at Emma's Hope Book (<a href="http://emmashopebook.com/2013/11/18/this-is-autism-written-by-emma/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">http://emmashopebook.com/<wbr></wbr>2013/11/18/this-is-autism-<wbr></wbr>written-by-emma/</a>).</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My child with Asperger's is an odd duck. We like odd ducks. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When I started researching Asperger's, I noticed that many of the characteristics of ASD (particularly with regard to language) sounded like things we really value in literature & art. I started thinking my child was just super experimental, & that it was time to put my money where my mouth is & learn this new language, new energy, new way of looking. This is autism— this shit is avant garde. </span></span></div>
This is Autismhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10387143599551457657noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6744594626405700702.post-4483992783167752612013-11-18T22:43:00.003-05:002013-11-18T22:43:42.509-05:00This is my son whose innate joy is contagious<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><i>Contributed by Jennifer Gray</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is Mason. This is my son whose innate joy is contagious. He is a huge heart beating. He is love. This is the boy who has inspired our family to truly LIVE. This is Autism.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_nh8-UOyPjkVaGmjjD056zFfBdIT8U2hrFNc4zwYBAU_2xnVQ2EpK85IPBRMBeX4_hKK8F7PbPLnOpSq0K4LRecx2KtwlaJxnaXcCzPl1khbqmY3J9vRD7CQ-48vwEK9PT9ysQK5ePh37/s1600/tia-30.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_nh8-UOyPjkVaGmjjD056zFfBdIT8U2hrFNc4zwYBAU_2xnVQ2EpK85IPBRMBeX4_hKK8F7PbPLnOpSq0K4LRecx2KtwlaJxnaXcCzPl1khbqmY3J9vRD7CQ-48vwEK9PT9ysQK5ePh37/s320/tia-30.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.727272033691406px;"><br /></span>This is Autismhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10387143599551457657noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6744594626405700702.post-9120775639382708772013-11-18T22:43:00.000-05:002013-11-18T22:43:00.735-05:00In My World<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.125; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><i><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #6e7173; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Written by </span><span style="color: #444444; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">Kimberly Roy, </span><span style="color: #444444; white-space: pre-wrap;">Centennial, Colorado</span></i></b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #6e7173; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #6e7173; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">To people who do not know these beautiful people they often appear unreachable…lost in another world. As the mother of an amazing 12 year old diagnosed with autism I have been blessed with the opportunity to look into his world. The more he shows me, the more I know he is just another little boy. This is a poem I wrote when he was three in 2004.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #6e7173; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #6e7173; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>In My World</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #6e7173; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #6e7173; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When people see me from the outside,</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #6e7173; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I look lost, and they wonder where I am.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #6e7173; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But they should come and see me in my world,</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #6e7173; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Where I laugh and giggle and play pretend...</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #6e7173; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #6e7173; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In my world I am just a little boy, with boats,</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #6e7173; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And cars, and airplanes that fly around.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #6e7173; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And I’m happy when my mommy tickles me,</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #6e7173; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And spins me upside down.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #6e7173; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #6e7173; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In my world there’s a baby to kiss, a doggie to touch,</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #6e7173; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And I love to ride on trains again, and again,</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #6e7173; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And my Papa drives me in his big white truck,</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #6e7173; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And my Mama takes me in the summer to go swim.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #6e7173; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #6e7173; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In my world I love to paint pictures,</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #6e7173; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And on my swing I feel like I can fly,</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #6e7173; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And my daddy takes me to his work to ride go-carts,</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #6e7173; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And teaches me how to be a good Jedi.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #6e7173; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #6e7173; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In my world I drink lots of chocolate milk,</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #6e7173; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And chicken nuggets make me smile.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #6e7173; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And my daddy makes the best macaroni and cheese,</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #6e7173; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And gives me a cookie every once in a while.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #6e7173; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #6e7173; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In my world I have a waterfall in my bath,</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #6e7173; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And I can act out my favorite shows again and again.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #6e7173; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And my sister can reach me like no one else can,</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #6e7173; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In my life she has been a godsend.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #6e7173; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #6e7173; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In my world I crawl into bed at night</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #6e7173; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Feeling happy, safe and truly loved.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #6e7173; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As my mommy reads me a book,</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #6e7173; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Gives me a kiss, and one last good night hug.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #6e7173; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #6e7173; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And as I sleep deep inside my world I am content,</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #6e7173; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But I can feel your hand gently reaching for me.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #6e7173; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Longing to share all the beauty in your world,</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #6e7173; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">You’re praying I will one</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #6e7173; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #6e7173; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">day see.</span></span></div>
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This is Autismhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10387143599551457657noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6744594626405700702.post-27798412203262901442013-11-18T22:42:00.001-05:002013-11-18T22:42:14.421-05:00Autism is… (The Caffeinated Autistic)<div class="post_content clearfix" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; color: #444444; line-height: 17.27272605895996px; margin: 0px 0px 10px; outline: none 0px; padding-left: 20px; padding-right: 20px; zoom: 1;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><i>Written by and originally published at <a href="http://thecaffeinatedautistic.wordpress.com/2013/11/19/autism-is/">The Caffeinated Autistic</a></i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Autism is needing a visual schedule even at age 30.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Autism is the joy of flapping your hands when something makes your heart sing.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Autism is needing to allot hours to performing basic skills.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Autism is objects ceasing to exist if you can’t see them.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Autism is reveling in the good textures - running your fingers over every bump, curve and rivet.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Autism is finding a pair of headphones that makes going out in public bearable.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Autism is holding a bachelor’s degree but working in a drive thru.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Autism is echolalia.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Autism is seeing details that others miss.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Autism is being able to recite pages and pages of text that you learned when you were sixteen but unable to remember something you read an hour ago.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Autism is the fantastic feeling of not needing a weighted blanket because your (also autistic) seven year old is more than willing to press herself on top of your chest.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Autism is explaining to a new friend every last detail of your latest obsession and being overcome with relief when they don’t call you a freak.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Autism is joy and it is struggle.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Autism is not a tragedy or a health crisis.</span></div>
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This is Autismhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10387143599551457657noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6744594626405700702.post-10867129350906199482013-11-18T22:42:00.000-05:002013-11-18T22:42:00.520-05:00Autism is (by R. D.)<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><i>Written by R. D.</i></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333;">Autism is.... being rocked to sleep in a hammock in the woods with the soothing sounds of my son’s joyful noise.... our contentment… learning to listen with my eyes and not just my ears, he tells me what I need to know... my teacher… trying to control every moment of the day and upon the realization that it can't be done, falling into the arms of Jesus and inviting him to reign in my heart.... </span>my salvation… learning how to let go, even to the point of sending your most vulnerable child to the mission field of an ICF... my son’s purpose… seeing the spirit of joy move across the faces of a crowd at the sight of my son’s smile, the kind with smiling eyes... my son’s gifts… watching people want to touch and love on my son as much as he wants to love and touch them… my joy… learning how to love with a pure heart fervently… learning what fearfully and wonderfully made really means… not heartbreaking but heartwarming, like the early spring sunshine… waiting for the first green of spring and the hope of fruit. This is Autism.<u></u><u></u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333;">my salvation… learning how to let go, even to the point of sending your most vulnerable child to the mission field of an ICF... Dar’s purpose… seeing the spirit of joy move across the faces of a crowd at the sight of Dar's smile, the kind with smiling Irish (actually Japanese) eyes... Dar’s gifts… watching people want to touch and love on Dar as much as he wants to love and touch them… my joy… learning how to love with a pure heart fervently… learning what fearfully and wonderfully made really means… not heartbreaking but heartwarming, like the early spring sunshine… waiting for the first green of spring and the hope of fruit. This is Autism.</span><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333;">.. my salvation… learning how to let go, even to the point of sending your most vulnerable child to the mission field of an ICF... Dar’s purpose… seeing the spirit of joy move across the faces of a crowd at the sight of Dar's smile, the kind with smiling Irish (actually Japanese) eyes... Dar’s gifts… watching people want to touch and love on Dar as much as he wants to love and touch them… my joy… learning how to love with a pure heart fervently… learning what fearfully and wonderfully made really means… not heartbreaking but heartwarming, like the early spring sunshine… waiting for the first green of spring and the hope of fruit. This is Autism.</span></span></div>
This is Autismhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10387143599551457657noreply@blogger.com2