Funkonovo/Allison's autism Blog

The light spectrum ranging from Ultraviolet (invisible to the naked eye) to visible to Infared (also invisible to the naked eye).  Google Image Search I'm going to go out on a limb here. This "What's your superpower?" question has become quite popular. "What superpower do you wish you had?" One response by some autistic adults has been "Autism is my superpower." I cringe, because I, being autistic, see my autism as anything but. I am disgusted by how there is little tolerance for a middle ground or common sense these days. I suppose if you went to college, are gainfully employed, don't have SPD so severe you can't go out into public without help, are married and even have kids, you will view your autism through mostly rose colored glasses. I say mostly, because I DON'T want to undermine the fact you do struggle to do what non-autistic people do with less or no effort each day. If you drive, own a home, have friends, lov...

I had my own assumption for my first job. My mom told me I didn't have to prove anything, but she would support my effort to get a job in the summer between my junior and senior year at Office Max. I chose Office Max, because I enjoyed organizing things. I also loved the smell of office and school products so much so as to take a stroll down the school supply asile at the supermarket or hardware store. I loved picking out my supplies from the list the school sent. I even had a play office kit my mom got me from a catalog. I assumed that there wouldn't be the hecticness of a grocery store due to the nature of the products sold. Those assumptions were proven wrong my first day. I started in July of 1996. Back to school shopping was already beginning. Office Max has the type of ceiling that amplifies sounds, so the screaming and crying of small children sounded like it was being played through speakers. There was a file I had to open with a combination lock that stuck. It work...

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...

Autism  It isn't over in 30 days It doesn't only affect the male sex, children, teens or white people. It isn't just a different way of thinking. It is meltdowns and shutdowns from sensory overload. It is often expressing oneself better through writing than words. It is often too loud, bright, smelly, rough and itchy. Eye contact creates panic. It is needing safe places In which to process and recover. It is helped by people listening instead of judging. Sleep can be fleeting Bowels inflamed Head banging, flapping or rocking Chewing or spinning stim jewelry to alleviate anxiety Noise canceling headphones, sunglasses and hats Sometimes medication It can mean marriage and kids It can mean one, both or neither It is a vast spectrum In which women are being treated as the newcomers There all along Diagnosed in middle age All too often it means  poverty isolation persecution unemployment and saddest of all, much talent and creativity remain...

Before I received an autism diagnosis, certain members of my NT family were fine with making fun of me and calling me names. When I was 19, I was diagnosed with autism. Finally, there was an answer to why I covered my ears during loud noises and rocked almost constantly as well as my lack of eye-contact and slightly strange gait. People treated me differently post diagnosis. I hadn't changed since the diagnosis. I couldn't figure out why I was being shut out. Even people who were neutral toward me who would say "hello" did not. Some people didn't speak to me at all when I made the effort; and minimal socialization   is   an effort for me. This still happens. It happened at my mom's funeral two and a half years ago when I had to see my NT family members. It happened the other day when the NT neighbor came by to speak to my sister with me in the car. I am there , but not there. This might be an autistic point of view, but these people are very...

Yes, it IS a disability! I honestly have to wonder if political correctness will be the death of us. Especially those of us with autism spectrum disorder if it is ever defined   solely   as a way of thinking differently, thus possibly nullifying services needed to survive. Autism is the only neurodevelopmental disorder that is constantly in conflict with causes, treatment options and self-identification. If you are totally self-sufficient, possibly married with (or without) kids, able to pay a mortgage or rent, manage a 401K along with feeding and dressing yourself, chances are you won't view your autism as a disability, but rather as ONLY a way of "thinking differently" or "processing at a different speed". Here is the problem I see if this   one-sided   perception becomes accepted as the norm: insurance companies won't have to cover treatment. It is hard enough to get insurance companies to accept autism as a valid medical diagnosis. I have...