• Communication Interaction and Autism Acceptance, Amy Sequenzia, Ollibean Logo

Communication, Interaction, and Autism Acceptance

If you've read enough of my writings, you know that I am an activist for the rights of all people - especially Autistic people - to communicate using whatever method it works for each individual. Communication and Autism Acceptance Everybody communicates. Communication doesn't need spoken words. Communication doesn't need words at all. Behavior is communication. Smiles, looks, our bodies - those are used for communication and they are as valid as any word. I can type, and I like to type. Even if typing is exhausting, I still use this method to speak out. Interaction and Autism Acceptance But I

  • Photo of a girl holding a sparkler. Text reads: Active listening is paying attention to all possible ways of communication an Autistic child uses. Amy Sequenzia on Ollibean

Parents, Are You Listening To Your Child?

As a non-speaking Autistic, I pay special attention to comments and statements made by parents of other non-speaking Autistics, especially children. Many times I see parents lamenting that they will never listen to their Autistic child say "I love you", or how much they long to hear those words.

Apple Celebrates Autism Acceptance Month with “Dillan’s Voice”

Autistic high school student Dillan Barmache,  has so much to say and people around the world are listening. "Dillan's Voice" can be seen on Apple's website in celebration of Autism Acceptance Month. Apple has chosen Acceptance over Awareness and it's a big deal. Why ? Because 16 year old Dillan Barmache communicates using an iPad, you don't see that in the mainstream media every day. And because Autism Acceptance Month was started by #ActuallyAutistic people. ( You can read more about it's evolution  from organizer Paula Durbin-Westby ) The world is listening  and it's so exciting. Not being able to speak doesn't mean you don't have a

Autism, Sensory Regulation and Movement Fluidity

Many any individuals with classic autism seem to have neurological movement differences. When these movement differences play out in our bodies, it is easy for onlookers to see, as we may get stuck in one position or in repetitive movement. Sometimes there can be difficulty in getting a body movement going, and at other times once our body is in motion, we cannot stop even if we want to. These movement differences can also play out in thoughts, speech, and emotions, areas that are not as readily observable to onlookers, yet can be daily obstacles to outsmart for some of

  • Photograph taken at sunrise - 2 rows of bare trees and at the end there is a farmhouse that appears lit from within. "Even though the problem is about stuck emotions the solution is NOT in the emotional realm." Judy Endow on Ollibean

Autism and Stuck Emotions

It has taken most my lifetime for me to begin figuring out stuck emotions in relationship to my autism. In discussing this with other autistic adults I have discovered many share this problem. Some describe the stuck emotions as being shut down. There are variations of experience, but there seems to be a shared experience of stuck emotions in autistics. Everyone I have discussed this with agrees that stuck emotions are quite difficult to deal with and, in fact, have led to much misunderstanding and sometimes to psychiatric hospitalizations. Even though I have been talking to other autistics about this

The Reason I Blog

This blog (The Autism Wars), and all the other blogs and projects associated with it, are for my autistic son, Mustafa. But this blog is actually not talking about him without him or about daily life with him with some rare exceptions for times when his daily displays of empathy, kindness, and love towards me move me to write. When I say it is for my son, I mean it is part of my activism and my exploration of what it means to try and ally myself to his cause. This cause is something that too many of us are aware of

I Don’t Want Your Awareness

I don’t want Autism Awareness. Actually, I fear Autism Awareness because it only makes the world fear, hate and ignore us, one blue light, one puzzle piece at a time.

Take ASAN’S Pledge to Include Autistic Voices

Please join us and take The Autistic Self Advocacy Network's pledge to include Autistic voices in organizations, conferences and panels on autism. Would you support an organization that advocated for women or attend conferences about women if they failed to include women ? Of course not. Then, please, take a minute, sign this pledge and share widely. Join: Colin Meloy, Lead Singer, The Decemberists, Linda Walker Fiddle, Executive Director, Daniel Jordan Fiddle Foundation Mike Elk, Labor Reporter, In These Times Magazine, Steve Silberman, Investigative Reporter and Author, Wired Magazine, Cecilia Breinbauer, Executive Director, Interdisciplinary Council on Developmental and Learning Disorders

Autism, Inflexibility and Diversity

A universal assumption about autism is that autistic people tend to be inflexible and it is NOT GOOD to be inflexible. Let’s take a look at that assumption. Neuro majority people talk a lot about the inflexibility and the rigidity of autistic people. Seems like they get stuck in that train of thought. Isn’t it quite a narrow perception to believe that everyone should be just like you and should conform to your ways? And yet, as an autistic, if I want to get anywhere in the world I need do just that - to conform to the ways of

  • Goodnight Autism Puzzle Pieces by Judy Endow on Ollibean. Picture of crescent moon on night sky.

Goodnight Autism Puzzle Pieces

You may like lighting it up blue or using puzzle pieces as a symbol of autism awareness. I personally no longer like either of these things for lots of reasons and I post various blogs and articles about these topics in social media venues. My opinion, even though it may differ from yours, does NOT mean my autism is preventing me from understanding your point of view. It simply means we have different points of view. Yesterday I had a conversation in social media with a woman who explained all the reasons the puzzle piece symbolism was important to her

  • "Acceptance starts at home" Photograph of teenage boy with white skin and brown hair with woman with white skin and dark brown shoulder length hair

Parents – Acceptance Starts at Home

Parents, home is the single most important place for our children to feel accepted. We must embrace ALL of our children with love and acceptance for being exactly who they are. Home is the first place our kids learn about being accepted and accepting others. It is our responsibility and privilege as parents to create a nurturing environment where each child feels valued, safe, loved and whole. Our children are always listening and picking up on our feelings and attitudes. They're listening to how we speak to them, about them, and closely watching  how we react to other people who

Love Not Fear

Love Not Fear. Henry Frost on Autism Acceptance Two Houses a story of Autism Acceptance. There are two houses. There are two boys that live in these houses. Each house inside has one family living. Each member of each family has different ways of being. House Number One One house has the family that tells the boy he is loved . The family is not a family without the boy. All of the family members are loved as they are. They are loved for being. The boy is loved as he is. He is educated. He is respected. He

  • a teenage light skinned boy with freckles, wearing a black jacket, blue and white striped sweater, pink collared shirt is standing in front of large columns and steps that lead to the Lincoln Memorial

Listen Up

Listen Up! the PSA from the Autistic Self Advocacy Network and Autism Acceptance Month has been released!

Must Have Autism E-book

Great e-book for Autism Acceptance Month !

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