“My little cousin was diagnosed with autism at 2 years old and ever since I’ve been watching him grow up into this little amazing man. I recently wrote a poem about his special gifts.” – Alayna Kurland Camelio By Alayna Kurland Autism isn’t a disease, it’s my little cousin, Camelio, havi…

By Kris McElroy Back-to-school time is a huge transition time full of different emotions and to-do tasks. As a autistic parent with chronic illness & disabilities, there is an excitement mixed with anxiety, stress, and overwhelm as we prepare for the fall season kickoff of work and our 2 year o…

By Catherine Londero Back when it was first announced that England was going into lockdown, many let out a sigh of dread. I did not. In fact, it was more an inhalation of fresh air. While so many people faced difficulties living with these restrictions, I was discovering a new sense of freedom. No m…

“Autistic burnouts for me feel like the puzzle pieces in Tetris falling so fast you don’t have enough time to line them up before they reach the top and the videogame is over, burnouts leave me feeling overwhelmed and exhausted.” Ron Sandison By Ron Sandison I’ve experienced many autistic burnouts …

By Dan L. Edmunds, PH.D. They said to persevere. I began to perseverate. They discouraged me. Be joyful they said. I flapped my hands with a joyful feeling. Not like that they said. They used a lot of words whereas I had not many. They said I needed to speak like them and when I did they said it was…

By Dennis Procopio “Dennis, please just get in the f***ing car.” This was my mother, pleading with her 9-year-old son to sit in a friend’s car which had crushed velvet seats. I wouldn’t. I couldn’t. It felt…. unbearable. As she herself was diagnosed with a laundry list of clinical diagnoses includ…

The Father was nominated for six Academy Awards including best picture and best actor. By Nils Skudra Last night I had the opportunity to watch The Father, a powerful psychological drama directed by Florian Zeller which revolves around the relationship between a middle-aged daughter and her elderly …

My name is Zach Stehle. I am 22 and I have autism. In the past month, I have also received over 15 million views on TikTok! It all started one day in the beginning of July 2022. I was sitting in my room, minding my own business, reading a comic book and stroking my cat, Piper. All of a sudden, I hea…

By Na’Imah Todd, DVM I speak in silence, but language is my story. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, a prodigy is defined as “a young person who is unusually talented in some way.” For me, this has always been language. My family recounts I started speaking at around 9 months of age. Som…

By Kaelynn Partlow I am 24 years old and I am diagnosed with “high-functioning autism.” There is a broad misconception in the autism community that so-called “high-functioning autism” means “easy autism.” And while it’s largely true that those of us labeled “high-functioning” tend to hav…

My Friend Theo By Scott Lentine He jumps for joy when you open the door Very happy and delighted to see you Doing a happy dance on the floor And enjoying getting hugs too   He loves looking out the windows Hoping to see other dogs and humans as well He gets a thrill out of playing various games…

By Kit Oz I started painting oyster shells last year, as a lark. I’d seem some Dutch oyster shells painted with blue and white china patterns, and thought they were beautiful. As I have easy access to oysters here in Seattle, I thought it would be fun to take the idea of painting shells and make it …

“Growing up as an autism sibling was not easy and there was a lot of things I never understood, but as an adult I’ve learned how to find gratitude for the journey.” Natalie Castro By Ron Sandison Autism and sensory issues makes living space important to me. Home is a place for me to decompress and r…

By Nils Skudra As a Civil War historian, I have always been fascinated by the various personalities on both sides that played a pivotal role in shaping the course of the conflict. One of the most enigmatic of these figures is Jefferson Davis, who served as the Confederacy’s president throughout the …