By Christa Holmans, Neurodivergent Rebel I had the immense privilege of being diagnosed autistic at the age of twenty-nine. Outsiders may not understand why I say this event was a privilege. Why would I be happy about receiving a diagnosis that will stay with me for the rest of my life? Because that…

By Gretchen McIntire Every month I strive to be braver than the month before. I had worried I might run out of ways to be brave but life seems to just keep throwing me more and more opportunities. My External and Internal Bravery I finally moved out of the family home I had been staying in and that …

John R. Miller has written and illustrated two children’s books based on the imaginary world he created on his two little hands when he was 5 years old. “When I was a little boy, I was diagnosed with autism and one of my stims or tics was to play and wrestle with my hands where I created Handom. Ha…

By Megan Amodeo Another Halloween is fast approaching and it brings me to the kind an evening I faced with trepidation as a child of the 1970’s and ‘80’s. Before cell phones, social media and selfies, we dressed up like goblins and ghosts and our parents took pictures with cameras with film that too…

By Christa Holmans, Neurodivergent Rebel When I found out I was autistic at the age of twenty-nine, my entire world view was turned upside down. Growing up, I distinctly remember feeling like “everyone else was irrational and weird” but had no idea that I was, actually, the contrarian – despit…

By Gretchen McIntire Most of the time my fear makes me feel frozen in place in life and literally in a physical sense. Sometimes it’s triggered by driving to a new place. Sometimes it’s triggered by just driving to a familiar place in an unfamiliar way. But no matter what the trigger is, the uncomfo…

Sophie and Liam have an inseparable bond as brother and sister. She is neurotypical and Liam is autistic, diagnosed when he was two years old. Sophie shares her sibling perspective on their mutually supportive relationship. Liam was born 359 days after me. He is my best friend and my one true life p…

Interview with Author Ron Roecker Ron Roecker is an award-winning writer, artist and photographer moonlighting as an award-winning Entertainment PR and brand marketing executive in Los Angeles. That’s what he does for a living. Ron, the person, is kind a kind and generous human who does whatever he …

Letters from Our Editors: Welcome to Zoom Autism Magazine, Issue 16! Guest Editor: Gretchen McIntire (Leary) It has been a honor and an amazing learning experience to step into the shoes of Guest Editor for Issue 16 of Zoom Autism Magazine. I knew right away that I wanted the theme to be about trave…

Our Guest Editor, Gretchen McIntire (Leary), interviews Stephen Shore, an autistic professor of special education at Adelphi University. He is the author of several books including College for Students with Disabilities and Beyond the Wall. He travels the world speaking at over 1,000 conferences abo…

By Erin Clemens Going on holiday. Taking a vacation. Getting away. These are all ways to describe traveling, and they make it sound so relaxing! However, as someone on the autism spectrum, traveling can be challenging. I often struggle with changes in routine and communicating my needs to strangers…

By Katie Dyer Autism is full of quirks on a daily basis when you’re in your comfort zones. The days are filled with schedules, familiar smells and foods, and television programs. The initial thought of traveling is totally overwhelming and scary. The first time we talked about traveling with …

By Rachel Barcellona Traveling is something I really love to do! I’ve been to many U.S. states and was able to go to London, England, to take part in Autism’s Got Talent, an event where autistic individuals showcase their talents. I sang opera at The Mermaid Theatre and met lots of new …

Issue 16’s Big Question What coping skills or accommodations help you/ and or your child with Autism Spectrum Disorder when traveling? Gretchen McIntire, our Guest Editor, asked this question to the #ActuallyAutistic Community on Twitter and Facebook. Here’s what they had to say: “I’m pretty cool w…