Adults On The Autism Spectrum

@gingerw , I have missed you, girlie! It's been one thing after another! I used to think Fibromyalgia was the worst....my bout with Shingles was horrid! I didn't have the spoons to write or ask questions or cook or do much of anything.

I'm not contagious, but I am still not 100% yet. I am so thankful to be back home here at the Spectrum Cafe! Hopefully I will be well enough to stick around this time. Thank you for the compliment. I try to help others whenever I can. If I don't have an answer, I can always ask for help from wiser souls than me.

Happy Mother's Day to all my friends and family in Autism land. I love you and wish you the best!

Mamacita

Hi,@lizaa, so very nice to meet you here! I agree, Temple Grandin is an amazing person. Her book, Thinking In Pictures, is actually the trigger that set the wheels in motion for me. Until I read her book, I did not know that everyone did not think in pictures.

Being Autistic has set me free to be who I am. I have been given so much, I will be forever grateful. Thank you for sharing!
Mamacita

It's good to meet you all!

good day lizaa from big john Sydney Australia near hugs and lovely to talks to you

Good morning guys and dolls! @mamacita here wirh late breaking news!

April is over!!! Yay!!!!
No more "Light It Up blue"......
No more "#%^%# Speaks......when only four per cent of their budget actually goes for services to Autistic people.
No more mamallamadrama about how horrible it is to have an Autistic child.
No more Search For A Cure.....we are not sick. We are not diseased. We want to live.
No more actively treating us like we are not even in the room.

Autism Acceptance. We are beyond the "Aware" stage.

Thank you all for welcoming us here. We hold no negative thoughts towards those who have not reached this point of view.

We all grow at a different rate. I clearly remember being shocked and angry when I learned that some folks want to prevent us from even being born.

Autism is not a disease. It is not a mental illness. It is not a disability. It is simply a differently wired brain.

If you need more information on this, I suggest you start with Everyday Aspbergers, written by the noted author and speaker, and Autism Advocate, Samantha Craft. There are many others I can mention at another time.

Normally I am cozysquishyhuggyGramma on here. But when people start giving little ones bleach enemas to "cure" their child's Autusm, it's time to step up the game.

Don't be misinformed by flash and popularity. Search out the facts for yourself. "Nothing about us, without us."

Love and light to you all.

Mamacita

@mamacita Right on! [Oops, there I go dating myself!] Learning to stand up for ourselves and what helps us survive best each day, is tough. For so long we gave just "gotten along", and suffered our best selves. No more. Now I simply will not abide by that. It has taken many by surprise, wondering what happened to that passive person, how did she get replaced by someone speaking up for themselves?

In four weeks I will be in Rhode Island for a week for a training conference, and will meet over 100 people that I have never seen before. Also, I have to negotiate a cross-country flight with a layover, too. My organized brain says, "piece of cake", while the rest of me is full of nerves and trepidation. I already contacted the organizers, and told them specifically where I will feel most comfortably placed [yeah for me for standing up for myself!!] in the conference room. If we don't say something, it won't happen!

For today, I am grateful to be able to share here.
Ginger

@mamacita I'm shocked (bleach enemas) how horrible that sounds like Dr Frankenstein I'm so sorry this happens never heard of it before rediculus

@mamacita well said. I know many people truly feel they are helping, by recommending their ideas of how to cure someone with autism, without realizing they may be dangerous. After 14 yrs of living with an autistic son, I am thankful I didn't listen to all the ideas everyone wanted me to try on him. Autistic people are not guinea pigs, and I would not chance experimenting on anyone's child with the next "natural cure-all" Of course there are awesome therapies and some medications out there to help anyone on the spectrum, or any disability to achieve their potential. Speech therapy, occupational therapy, and ABA have helped our little guy progress so much, and at the same time, teach parents to always gently push them out of their comfort zone. I've also learned not to take silly comments, that we all hear over and over, about what we did to cause Autism, try this, try that etc, etc... to fall like water off a duck's back. Life's much better that way. 🙂

@lizaa Thanks for your input. Your son is lucky to have you in his corner.
Ginger

Wow. You guys. @mamacita here. I told the truth and you're still here?!! Wonderful!
I so agree with the majority of those who understand that there are often co-morbidities along with Autism. Anxiety: Who would NOT be anxious, when every single sense is magnified to the extreme.

Depression: Again, who would NOT be depressed when you feel like you don't belong, people constantly tell you that "you aren't doing it right." When you don't understand social expectations.

Gut disorders, such as IBS. Gluten sensitivity. Watch the documentary The Magic Pill. You will have some answers there. And after that, more questions.

Autistics deserve the same respect as every other person on this planet. Many of us tend to believe that we are all made in the image of God. Some of us have even laughingly said that God is an Aspie. After all, who do you know who can listen to a gazillion conversations at the same time?

That's right. An Autie or,....God! You are welcome.

Love you big!

Mamacita