“I’ve always had pretty intense special interests, often kept secret, but Flyleaf was one of the very few that seemed socially acceptable.” By Miya Sae A little over ten years ago, I returned to my freshman dorm after morning classes and was welcomed by the most heartbreaking Facebook po…

By Nils Skudra One of the most compelling musical films that relates to neurodiversity and social anxiety is Dear Evan Hansen, a 2021 adaptation of the Tony Award-winning musical about an isolated high school senior who becomes the motivational force behind a campaign for mental health awareness fol…

By Ryan Smoluk All Without Words As a self-advocate for autism awareness and a visual artist, I was so excited when this project came my way. It allowed me to create art that represents neurodiversity. I was free to create whatever images that flowed into my imagination. There were no boundaries. Cr…

Yes, a spoonful of sugar does help the medicine go down, but there is a fine line between medicine and a sugar pill. By Anton Spivack When I saw this video on Youtube about how to choose a high school musical, one commenter listed a set of guidelines. One of which rang particularly true: “it has t…

October is National Disability History Month and National Disability Employment Awareness Month. Richard Pimentel was one of the first disability activists to work with United States government agencies and Fortune 500 companies in diversity training and providing employment for people with disabili…

“I thought to myself, ‘I know all the professional musicians in the area. Why not bring them to my house for socially distanced jam sessions in front of small crowds?’ The results were more than I could have anticipated—seeing as I now have an ongoing concert series in my own backyard…” By Morgan Gi…

Ron Sandison interviews child musical prodigy Jacob Velazquez For those who missed Jacob Velazquez on America’s Got Talent here’s a video of his appearance: I had the opportunity to ask Jacob a few questions about his autism and his music. 1. How did PDD-NOS effect you as a child and at…

Last year, jazz composer and musician Justin Morell contacted the Art of Autism about his project All Without Words. Justin had composed jazz music that was inspired by his autistic son Loren. He wanted some artists to listen to the music and create a piece of art based on their experience of his …

Following rules and rituals I create unique compositions. By Roland Bühlmann My music follows certain, partly unconscious rules. Following rules and rituals is typical for autistic people. My music is linear, made up of individual voices, all are more or less melodic. A kind of polyphony without con…

By Moontain Feathers (Lost) is a collection of sounds & simple melodies from the heart. Please listen here. Feathers features an acoustic song called “Anima” which was a first take as i was sipping my morning coffee. It was (and still is) a moving one to record because this was a time where …

“No diagnostic manual can truly explain the multi-faceted experience of autism,” Elisabeth Wiklander By Ron Sandison Elisabeth Wiklander was raised in a musically talented family. Her dad is a pianist, organist, and composer and mom a conductor, singer, and clarinetist. When Elisabeth w…

By Dana Trick Sinking like a stone— You’re human, Not a rock, And you have the limbs to Swim towards the surface. Curiosity killed the cat— There are trillions of things that could have Killed the cat as well as you. Why do you promote foolish ignorance When knowledge is essential? Blind as a bat—…

By Morgan GiosaNow It was a Monday night after 10 PM, and I was waiting in the corner of the Hungry Tiger, a small Connecticut bar which hosts my favorite open jam blues night. I was awkwardly tuning up my guitar and listening to the house band – a trio of musical virtuosos – tearing through incredi…

Music has been a bridge for me to show who I really am to others. You can’t hear autism in music. Sound, melody, and rhythm are immune to disabilities. My name is Breyton Croom. I am 24 years old from Morristown, New Jersey, and I am autistic with a diagnosis of Pervasive Developmental Disorde…