Funkonovo/Allison's autism Blog

Camera lens with breaks in it. Light and sound amplification This photo had some serious Photoshop performed on it. This is what the sensory filter in my brain looks like.  I have autism and SPD (sensory processing disorder). That means my brain doesn't properly process some information, including certain auditory input. I was diagnosed with hyperacute hearing as a child and as having "autistic features" in 1998. In 2004, I was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome, now part of autism spectrum disorder. I read an interesting article on Wikipedia that explains sensory gating . My brain cannot perform this properly with sound. The "Cocktail Effect", a term used to describe how the brain filters out information it doesn't need, is pretty much absent in my brain. If I am around more than 4 people with 2 or more conversations, I feel like I am listening to 2 or more radio stations simultaneously. I use passive earmuffs and sometimes earplugs in public....

Yellow Daffodil Since we are experiencing record-breaking warmth in the American Midwest, I thought I'd share this daffodil, that bloomed in March,  2012. Normally, they don't bloom until April.  I thought this particular blossom looked quite sassy. It looks like a duck quacking, happily. It's not always bad to be ahead of the game.

I've read the plea of an autistic parent many times over- "I would just like to eat dinner with my family out in public." The family cannot do so, because one or more of their children is autistic. The noise of clanking, clattering dishes, crying babies and bright lights incites a very physical and verbal meltdown. The child hits themselves. They scream. The judgemental stares and tongue clucks begin. It is simply safer and less humiliating to eat in. Now imagine the autistic child grown up. Perhaps they have learned to better manage  sensory overload  and get away from a situation before it leads to a meltdown. Maybe they always have a safe person with them (as I do) when they are away from home. Perhaps that person is the parent. They still would like to have a meal out with the entire family, but it won't happen. It's not that the family never tried again. This time, the autistic person wore earplugs and sunglasses. They were older and did their best to ...

4 people in different colors holding hands Concept: community inclusion I have autism, and sensory processing disorder. The latter is the big hurdle keeping me from making friends due to the fact I don’t get out of the house unless I am with my safe person, who is usually my older sister. What I need is inclusion that takes into account my sensory processing issues. Noisy places like coffee shops, bookstores, even libraries are unhealthy places for me to be. One of my sensory agonies, crying/screaming kids is like putting my hand on a hot stove. I cannot relax let alone contemplate socialization. Earplugs and earmuffs only take the edge off long enough for me to walk away. This is a letter I have written to community developers everywhere. To community developers who work to provide a more inclusive environment for those on the autism spectrum: Firstly, thank you for the hard work you do in including autistic people. That said, I cannot access any autism f...

By God's grace, my autistic voice is now being accepted by the greater disability community. Please click here to read my post about abuse in the ER. Don't ignore abuse when you see it. Passivism is just as dangerous as physically or verbally assaulting someone. May God bless you. Thanks for stopping by my blog.  "Open your mouth for the mute,      for the rights of all who are destitute. 9  Open your mouth,  judge righteously,      defend the rights of  the poor and needy." ~Proverbs 31:8 ESV