Funkonovo/Allison's autism Blog

Photo Gallery Photography, more than writing alone, helps me to share what my mind is seeing. I see beauty in brokenness. Like an “onion in a petunia patch,” as my mother used to say, any dilapidated, odd or misplaced object has value to me. Dilapidated old barns and blown out windows convey to me that, though they weathered greatly, they are still here and will live on after their demise in my photos. I have had the privilege of sharing my photography with MAAP Services, an Indiana based autism 501(c) 3. Donating my pictures and essays to MAAP  helped both MAAP and me. I have also had my photos published in the Daily Herald Newspaper and online @ Broken Light Photography Collective. "The broken window of opportunity" 2011 "Reaching Toward Heaven" 2012 "Water droplets on leaf" 2014 Next Steps 2016 "The key" 2016 "Sensory overload" 2014 "A family aff...

Chapter 4: Future Vision: My sensory friendly housing wish list I compiled a wish list regarding housing that takes into account the special need of the ASD individual with   life-limiting   sensory processing disorder (SPD). First, I state why, for me , living in an "anything goes" neighborhood (where most people live) is unhealthy and unsafe. -Randomness; lack of routine and predictability as faced in most typical living environments. - Chance for harm: victimization due to natural gullibility (lack of “street smarts”). - Lack of adequate transportation due to not being able to drive a car or tolerate the sensory overload of public transportation.   - Staying inside, isolated from the community due to auditory and visual sensory overload. - High blood pressure due to pervasive environmental stressors like traffic, dogs, and children playing. and underlying depression that paves the way for other health problems like heart dis...

Ewe and her lamb Mary had a little Lamb Soon to the world, He would go. He would be sacrificed, Washing away the scarlet stain of our sin Making us as white as snow. "Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world."  -John 1:29 As a follower of Jesus Christ, I rest in the knowledge that this life is not as good as things get. In Eternity there won't be anxiety, sensory issues, depression or migraine headaches. Perhaps learning about the message of the Cross, that Jesus was crucified for my sins as well as all of mankind, is more real for me given the violent things said and done in my teens and early 20's. I'm not going into them in this post because the main point I'm making is this; I need saving from my own self.  If Jesus wanted me dead, He would have allowed me to die during several suicide attempts. I don't know what Christian persecution is. I am blessed in that. I have, however, suffered persecution for being autistic. Be...

Chapter 3: Does autism get easier as you age? Based on my   personal experience:   somewhat yes and mostly no. Yes,   some   of my sensory sensitivities become tolerable. For me, this meant being able to go from screaming and covering my eyes every time a flash fired on a camera to being able to endure purple pupils following a photograph. By my preteen years, I was able to handle the doorbell ringing instead of freaking out by both the startle and the noise. What a relief it was that my mother could play the organ at mid-volume in the den next to my bedroom and I could handle it with my door closed. Being forewarned, I could even tolerate the vacuum being turned on and even being in the same room. But by the time I turned 14, I began to notice increasing sensitivity to other sounds   already too loud , especially when accompanied by   startle. I began to experience more meltdowns more frequently and much lower overall frustration tolerance. ...

A white woman from the nose down to the neck with caption in white font. If this helps you, please share it on the internet. Print it out. If you hurt like I do, languishing in silence inside four walls Netflixing your day away due to lack of supportive services, please share this. If you are creative and cannot create due to being isolated and unable to go out in public without a safe person, please share. Link this or any other of my posts to another blog. Things will only change if there are numbers. I am a party of one. I cannot do this alone. I live on autisticaplanet , population: 1. It lies inside a gray warp within the multicolored spectrum. Color wheel: concept: the autism spectrum This blog post explains it best.

Pink clouds with words. I'm not trying to offend anyone, though inevitably, I will. I think using politically correct terminology  has its setbacks. Today, everybody gets offended at everything. It is pathetic. People heatedly debate each other over issues such as using person first language. As long as you don't forget that there is a person, unique and created by God, then I am fine with being called autistic or a person with autism. Both are true. Both are not all there is to me, though. I spend a lot of time blogging about my autism experience, but that isn't all of me. I am also creative, empathetic, young at heart and enjoy nature. I have thoughts, feelings, and ideas like everyone else, yet I am myself, one of a kind.

Young female child crying First of all, thank you VERY MUCH for your thoughtfulness in choosing to remove your crying toddler from the OB/GYN waiting room. I am sure it was boring for your daughter to wait on top of being sick. I could hear the mucus rattle when she coughed. Being patient for a toddler is hard on a good day, but far harder when you are sick. My autistic brain can remember back to when I was a toddler. I was about to go in for my yearly exam. I had a meltdown earlier in the week and was dreading the pain and pressure that always comes from having a metal speculum inserted into my vagina. I have a very good doctor who is both practical and patient, but it is still a very uncomfortable experience. Not having to figure out how to run out of the office, possibly punch myself in the head or knock something over was a HUGE relief. I was able to remain seated and chew my stim pendant, filling out my paperwork (I wish they could just e-mail it-very stressful as I am ...

2  women of different ages hugging There is (yet another) stereotype about autistic people that they have no friends. While socializing and finding someone (either NT or ND ) who accepts you for who you are (not who their idea of you is) has been a struggle for me, I do have one friend and she is a great blessing in my life. I didn't have any friends growing up. I did have a reoccurring summer playmate for a few years but come school time, I became invisible to her. She was popular and probably didn't want her friends knowing she knew me. I did have a few casual friends in middle school the place I call day prison due to the bullying and generally hostile, tense and loud environment. They succumbed to peer pressure in high school. People asked them why they hung out with me and one of them told me she was tired of getting mean stuff said to her for being my friend. She asked my permission to leave the friendship. I forgave her and have forgiven a lot of other peop...

Chapter Two: Treatments I am wearing a tight-fitting skullcap. The things on the skullcap are injected with gel and then wires called leads are connected to them. Before the skullcap can go on, though, I must have my forehead wiped with a   gritty   cleanser that will allow the leads to get a "cleaner" picture of my brain activity.  The skullcap has two straps that my mom fastens to my chest. It is now time for my EEG. Unlike EEG's that map out images of the brain, this one will be recording my brain waves. The objective is to find out if there is any disturbance in my brain waves, and if there is, enough to warrant intervention. If you are touch sensitive, I do not see how you could have this test done. I am not touch sensitive, but I found when the gel was being injected into the little red things, it felt like my scalp was getting the injection. I even asked if they were giving me a shot in my scalp. They assured me I was not getting an injection in my scal...