@teresa, Volunteer Mentor, Happy Saturday to you!
Thank you for your kind words.
There is so much knowledge out there. More and more, we are understanding the mysteries of why we do what we do.

I am certainly differently wired.
I excelled academically until a small group of my peers was sent to the "best" school in town for gifted children.

It was not a good match for me.

The societal expectations were explicit in some ways, mysterious in otbers.

Coping mechanisms began to appear in my daily behavior. The stereotype of the pitiful child crying, rocking herself back and forth, in the closet, is not just a stereotype for this girl.

When I would do my homework every day after school, I would sit on the couch with a heavy pillow on my lap. Books spread out on top. The pressure, the heavy weight soothed my frazzled spirit.

We know now that weighted vests, weighted blankets, heavy pressure really helps us feel better.

We need that. Every day. We feel all the feels. We feel so deeply. Some of us, like myself, hear off the blooming charts. Is it any wonder there are countless little ones at the therapists' office, seeking anti -anxiety medication?

I have pictures of me in the backyard. I remember rocking back and forth as I stood under the pine trees. No one thought it odd or strange.

I remember climbing up the tallest tree holding onto a rope my Father had tied up at the very top. The thrill of actually repelling down that tree was a feeling I will never forget The sensations were once again, soothing to my Aspie nerves.

All of this is to say one thing.
Everything I do I do for these young ones coming up.
So that they will dwell on their strengths.
Build up their strengths, their abilities.
Realize everyone has limitations.
Rejoice in the concept that everyone can have a place at the table.

We adults on the Spectrum have so much to share. We help heal ourselves from years of hurt, abandonment, criticism, and worse, just by telling our stories.
Just by being told, "You are welcome here. "
Love and light,
Mamacita Jane