Someday Soon

There is something in the air lately. I am not sure what it is, but I feel it more than ever. It not only feels like change, it feels like hope. It’s the growth of Mouth to Hand combined with many factors: the fact that outsiders can come into this place and see  us for who we really are; the fact that more and more of us can sit and take college classes (including me!); the fact that more and more of us are living better and better lives; and that the established paradigm is starting to crumble. 

I am mostly thrilled that I am writing this post after learning that my friend, Alex, will be on a nonspeakers panel at the big Children’s Health Defense conference in a month. It is amazing to me that an organization that has nothing to do with autism education would have a prime time spot devoted to nonspeakers. We are starting to be seen as distinct from the other kind of autism, I hope. 

Being this kind of autism has its own strengths and weaknesses. We are kind of not understood by most people. I really hope that someday soon I can walk into Chipotle or the supermarket and hear someone say, “There’s one of those genius nonspeakers!”