Ollibean Think Tank

Ollibean Think Tank2012-06-27T10:32:21+00:00

Amy Sequenzia: To You, Young Autistic Friend

Autistic advocate and poet Amy Sequenzia's message of acceptance and respect for young autistics for 2012 Autistics Speaking Day. "There is nothing wrong with being who you are. You are perfect in your uniqueness."

  • Because we are all human beings and ‘disability’ does not define a person. And I hated social injustice and inequality from a very young age. I dislike ‘disability labels’ and I feel that children deserve something better than to be segregated and denied an equal education and a means of communication on grounds of disability. Richard Attfield activist. author. human.

Change Leader: Richard Attfield

Richard Attfield, a contributing author to "Autism and the Myth of the Person Alone", is passionate about the rights of children with disability labels to have equal access to education and communication supports.

A Poem About Pain

Other people have written better articulated articles about the same things I write in this poem. It is hard for me to elaborate beyond the words in the poem. It could have easily been me in some cases, it can happen to any of us.

Changing the Paradigm

Sir Ken Robinson on education reform. "Changing Paradigms in Public Education" covers the importance of thinking differently about human capacity , recognizing the benefits of collaborative learning, and changing the culture of our institutions.

J.Cole Writes Apology Letter to Autism Speaks

J.Cole offended many over the lyrics “I’m artistic, you is autistic, retarded” in his Jodeci Freestyle rap number. He was called on this.  The Anti-Bullying Alliance created a petition and asked for a formal apology

  • Image description: Photograph of screenshot of C-SPAN a light skinned man with black hair. He is wearing glasses and a dark grey suit, light shirt and maroon tie. Ari Ne'eman Autistic Self Advocacy Network

The Importance of Supports

"If we invested a mere one-tenth of the amount of money that we currently pour into causation into empowering Autistic people to communicate, that young man and hundreds of thousands more like him would be able to communicate their needs to us today. I am not here today to speak for every Autistic person – that’s impossible. What I am here for is to argue for every Autistic person to have the same opportunity to communicate that I have come to enjoy thanks to the support that I have been lucky enough to receive in my life." Ari Ne'eman

Autistic Man, Jesse Saperstein Free Falls to End Bullying

Best-selling author, autism advocate and motivational speaker Jesse A. Saperstein is spreading an Anti-Bullying movement across America with his “Free-Falling to End Bullying in 2012” YouTube video hoping to put an end to torment in and out of the classroom.

I Am Disabled and I Am Proud

‎"Polite society often tells us that we need to take the 'dis' out of disability, but maybe... just maybe, we should spend some time putting it back in. Take the "dis" out of disability and you remove the core of what has shaped my life. Disability puts the "D" in diversity, but in order to make that a real difference we've got to own that spot. It took me 35 years to respect and honor that truth. Others shouldn't have to wait that long..." Lawrence Carter-Long

Acceptance

Welcome new Ollibean writer, Amy Sequenzia! We know you’re going to love her blog and her poems……..
“Accepting myself is

Open Letter To Jon Stewart

When I met Jon Stewart I was very disappointed by his lack of knowledge and sensitivity toward autism. During a recent interview, while still a bit condescending, his views seem to have evolved. This is my open letter to him.

  • Change Leader in pink capital letters. AMY SEQUENZIA in brown capital letters with brown line on top and bottom of text. poet. advocate. human. lower case text

Change Leader: Amy Sequenzia

"Presume competence. The same way I want people to assume I am competent, I also assume that others are competent".

  • woman reading a book in lounge chair with ocean in background

Ollibean Mama Spotlight

Connect and learn with other parents like Tonya who presume competence and celebrate their children for being exactly who they are. #allofakind

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