Posts Tagged ‘autism advocate’
Amanda Owen, Creator of Puzzle Pieces, is Changing Lives for People With Disabilities
To truly know what a special needs life is, you have to have a deep understanding of it. You have to see it in every way and every aspect. It has to be your life. As the younger sister of Nick Boarman, 36 year-old Amanda Owen has known special needs life her entire life. At Nick’s six month check-up the doctor told their mother, Sharon Boarman, that Nick had a rare chromosomal disability. The Syndrome was so rare that there were only ten other cases at that time and those…
Read MoreA Love Letter to Our First Advocate
My son was diagnosed with Autism at the age of 3. But I can honestly say that if it hadn’t been for his Speech Therapist at the time, he still may not have a diagnosis. That’s how far into the black hole of denial I was. The funny thing about denial is that no one can pull you out. You have to do it own your own, but there are people that can be that light you reach for. And my son’s first speech therapist was that light for me. …
Read MoreI Don’t Mind You Staring At My Brother’s Disability
Living 36 years of my life having a brother with a disability has made me embrace the things I can’t change. Being the sibling of a brother with a disability has taught me many life lessons, and one of those lessons I’m sharing today in this blog. There is one thing that all families who have a child/sibling with a disability have experienced more often than not…….People who stare. When they notice a difference in the people around them, they stare. When they observe or hear a different form of…
Read MoreWhen I Read About Feda Almaliti
Even before my son Johnny was diagnosed my life has been all about autism. Trying to somehow figure it out so I could help my son. At first it was asking questions, then it became looking for help, and now it’s fighting for him. Sometimes I forget that everyone doesn’t know about autism. I forget because we live in a world where everything is catered to us. All my social media knows I talk a lot about autism. My ads are all supplements that are supposed to help my child,…
Read MoreMy Dream for a Better Tomorrow
I dream of a world where Autistic is put in the special skills and strengths section of a CV and not the medical section. The knowledge should already exist that we have additional needs, we shouldn’t have to specify it on a form as a disability or disorder. Here is why the word Autistic should be respected, admired and in some cases envied. I cannot emphasize enough how much autistic people have shaped this world and provided global changing technology, medicine, knowledge, understanding of the unknown, detailed analysis of countless…
Read More10 Things That Helped Me During Meltdowns As An Autistic Child
One of the more common questions I get asked as a professional speaker and autism self-advocate is about my communication challenges. After this question though the majority of the questions are about my previous meltdowns due to sensory-overload. As a nonverbal child until I was 3, most people think my main obstacle was communication when actually it was sensory integration dysfunction. My main challenges included loud noises, inclement weather, bright lights and not being able to be bathed until 18 months old due to the textural feeling of water on…
Read MoreHere is Me
Here is me. I am Jack. Here is me, and here is my autism. See, I am a boy and a diagnosis tangled together like so many vines climbing a tree. I am the rustle of paperwork, and small white pills in a vial. I am honesty, and tenacity, and a body in motion. I am a boy trying to hide. I am downcast eyes. And a hopeful heart. I am repetitive behavior. And special meetings in an overheated conference room. I am letters on paper—a statistic., a number, a…
Read MoreA Great Grandfather and Autism
It’s been almost ten months since Pop went home to heaven. He was 82 years young and it still is a big transition and heartbreak for our family. He was hilarious, full of faith, and a lifelong learner. Our eldest son Emmett was diagnosed with autism at three and a half years old, long before this I was reading books and studying everything I could in early intervention because my heart knew it would be a benefit for him. Alongside me, through it all, was Pop, reading everything I read,…
Read MoreI Can’t Ever Die
I’m not sad about our lives. It’s never been sadness. Its been sheer terror. I have been terrified. What will his life be? We are so close to adulthood. What am I suppose to do now? Do the angry autism advocates online realize the thoughts running in my head? The ones where I can’t ever die because I have a child who will never live independently? Do they plan on picking him up and caring for him when I am 80? No, I’m not a “martyr mom”. I’m a terrified…
Read MoreTell Them He’s Autistic Mama
We were swimming in the pool at the hotel. It was our fourth time in two days. My boys love water. It’s the one and only activity that the two oldest will actually do together. It’s also an activity that we can all enjoy. We would spend all of our time in the pool if we could. Sawyer is always drawn to other kids. He’s been that way his whole life. If he sees a little kid enter the water, he will be with him or her. Cooper, he’s oblivious.…
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