Acceptance By Rachel Pretlow Let the waves be open! Let the light shine in! Let us embrace parts of us Where we have never been! The wind picks up and lofts me On coast and sea and shore To desert fruits and poppy seeds And to the Mother’s core I am a pollinator I fly with birds and bees I feel the …

Today Greta Thunberg posted the following on her Facebook page. Today is ‪#AutismAwarenessDay‬. At the age of 12 I was diagnosed with Asperger, a form of autism. At that time I had no idea what it meant. When I and my parents told people I was autistic, they always reacted with shock since I didn’…

By Matt Valente Orangutan means man of the forest, But man is busy destroying their forest. Oh the Irony! You ask why? Mainly in search of palm oil, We ruin the orangutan’s native soil. These noble beasts are left to die; It’s enough to make your blood boil. Save the orangutans; that’s what I say: …

Is it break-up, make-up or wake-up? by Joel Ashton-Fogle Love is confusing at the best of times. This accounts for the huge industry of self-help books, relationship counsellors and literature written over the centuries. Love seems to be an enigma to even the most typical neurotypical. How do we fin…

By Scott Norman Rosenthal “The Malingerer Goes to the Movies,” (a Dis-Ability Coming-Out poem, for Colin Kempner, and Judith Wright) 1. You’re sitting there, and it’s getting harder to breathe. It feels as if a little man, like a gnome, has crept up the back of your seat, and dropped a net in…

Northern Pictures is looking for single autistic people and couples for a new U.S. documentary about autism and dating. Email production@northernpictures.com.au See flyer below. Source: The Art of Autism

By Clare Smith What makes us human? Autistic people already know that one of the enduring myths about us is that we don’t do empathy. That we don’t get how others are feeling. That we don’t even get how we’re feeling. But loads of us can. In fact, many of us have no filter for emotions, so we’re h…

By Nils Skudra This week I had the opportunity to watch Jerry Rothwell’s documentary The Reason I Jump, a profoundly compelling commentary on the lives of several young nonspeaking adults on the autism spectrum. Based on the book of the same title by Naoki Higashida, this documentary explores the u…

“The question is not what you look at but what you see’’ Henry David Thoreau By Laura Brind Current data tells us that approximately 4 times as many boys are diagnosed with autism than girls. In respect of the International Women’s Day theme ‘choose to challenge’ this article explores how th…

“I’m a relentless guy who goes on and on.” Xavier DeGroat By Ron Sandison Xavier DeGroat is motivated, authentic and relentless. These characteristics enabled him to build a strong resume and a celebrity contact list equivalent to a Hollywood Walk of Fame. Xavier has met former Presidents Obam…

“Everyone deserves someone and everyone deserves a friend.” Juliana Fetherman By Ron Sandison I was excited to interview Juliana Fetherman, the founder of Making Authentic Friendships. I saw Juliana and her brother Michael on The Today Show. Juliana created an app to empower young adults with autism…

Yoga can help bridge the gap between calm and chaotic; it can help give Aspies a spiritual foundation we can take with us out into the social world. By Kate Atkinson 1. Mindfulness & Self Awareness Growing up, I didn’t receive support for being autistic, just as many other autistic women have g…

By joining autism and neurodivergent communities, I’ve gained such a stronger and more confident sense of self! Amy Gaeta An interview with Amy Gaeta by Ron Sandison. Understanding neurodivergence was key to my success. As I discovered how my mind processed information and became an expert on auti…

I was diagnosed with Autism, Asperger’s at the age of 44 but it wasn’t a surprise just a relief. What led to my diagnoses though was a lifetime of anxiety, a real feeling I did “not fit in” and I suffered from episodes of depression as a result. I was unable to do anything …