“The Dove of Peace, more than anything that’s something this world needs, peace. He is flying through the city at night in front of a billboard that shows the earth holding a banner reading “Peace”. I love to draw. I think it’s because it calms me down. For whatever reason I a…

By Alex Frank My sister Mia, who is now 24 years old, was at a crossroads before being employed at Popcorn for the People. Most people who are autistic or have special needs struggle intensely to find some form of employment. In fact, the unemployment rate for adults with disabilities in America is …

By Kimberly Gerry Tucker Someone once told me, “I don’t understand your poetry! What is the meaning?!” I had to contemplate that before I answered. Finally, I said, “Read it slowly and see the images it evokes. Ask yourself, what does Kim’s poetry mean to me?” The sidewalk I’m on is pitted, crumblin…

Mozart and the Whale is a film adapted from Jerry Newport and Mary Newport’s autobiographical book Mozart and the Whale: An Asperger’s Love Tale. By Nils Skudra I first watched the 2005 film Mozart and the Whale several years ago and have since viewed it numerous times. I just saw it aga…

by Pam Urfer (commentary by Kimberly Gerry-Tucker after) Not much was known about Autism in 1942, the year I was born. Nor in 1952, when I was 10. Nor in 1962, when I was 20. I’m not sure what symptoms I displayed as a child, whether or not I spoke late, or potty trained late, or disliked being touc…

In honor of #TakeTheMaskOff week The Art of Autism is posting this incredible essay from a 10th grade student recently diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder about passing as a neurotypical By Maya Radhakrishnan In 2000 the rate of autism diagnoses was about 1 in 150 people. By 2017 this rate was 1…

Robbie shares his passion for My Little Pony By Robbie Ierubino My name is Robbie Ierubino, and I am a 20-year-old artist with autism, who is studying Graphic Design at Staffordshire University in England. Earlier this year, the Art of Autism interviewed me about my art of “Shapism” . I have another…

By Chris Richardson It’s been proven that working with autistic students’ creativity and stimulating their imagination enhances the learning process, and helps them absorb information faster. Teaching your students how to create poems is a great way for them to start accumulating new information, an…

Into Your (Joe’s) World by Michael C. Kregler As a composer, I’ve always tried to follow this self-imposed advice: in order to create authentic and convincing music, be sure to a) study great composers, and b) write within your own experience. The latter would become especially significant when, in …

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. The Art of Autism is focusing on blogs of those who have a dual-diagnosis. By Jacqueline Lee At the beginning of January, I started two government internships concurrently. The first internship was a paid one which essentially laid me off once they were done – w…

By Amanda Ronan In my first years of teaching in the early 2000s, very few students had been identified as having Autism. Throughout my ten years of teaching, though, that number began to grow rapidly, as Autism diagnoses and awareness began to increase. I felt like I knew so little about how to hel…

An interview with Joe Biel, founder of Microcosm Publishing, and author of “Good Trouble: Building a Successful Life & Business with Asperger’s” What age were you when you were diagnosed with Aspergers? I was 32 when I was ​first ​diagnosed​ with 99% certainty and I was 37 whe…

“…my artists are reminded every day that we are not just advocating for ourselves, but for people with disabilities all over the world, because we are showing them that this is possible. This is the only art studio in the country that is managed by artists with disabilities,” Mehri…

PODS – People of Diversity, Speaking is a project similar to HONY – Humans of New York. PODS promotes the art of storytelling and it will be an ongoing database of Recognized Diversity Acceptance. by Kimberly Gerry-Tucker BOD and PODS; Intro by Kimberly Gerry Tucker, (new Board of Direc…