Spectrum Life Magazine Spring 2022 Issue from Autism Empowerment

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SpectrumLife OREGON and WASHINGTON’S PREMIER MAGAZINE FOR AUTISM COMMUNITIES TM

m a g a z i n e

ZOOMING IN WITH CONNER CUMMINGS DORKTALES STORYTIME PODCAST A DAY IN THE LIFE OF ADRIANA WHITE KIMI’S EMPOWHER CAMP EXPERIENCE #ASKINGAUTISTICS WITH LYRIC HOLMANS A NEW CHAPTER FOR AUTISM EMPOWERMENT STIMMING - FROM EVOLUTION TO REVOLUTION

SPRING 2022

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contents

ZOOMING IN WITH CONNER CUMMINGS

FEATURED SECTIONS

4 7 10

From the Publisher Exciting changes for Spectrum Life readers.

A Day in the Life of Adriana White Librarian, teacher, and champion for the neurodivergent.

ADVOCACY

Navigating Educational Services with Staffing Shortages What is a school district’s responsibility?

ZOOMing in with Conner Cummings Autism through many lenses. A New Chapter for Autism Empowerment, Geek Club Books and Zoom Autism Magazine.

LIFESPAN

13 16 18

EDUCATION

Kimi’s EmpowHer Camp Experience Disaster preparedness, survival, fun. The Flood by Kimi Dyment An autistic youth learns to prepare for a flood. #AskingAutistics with Lyric Holmans When and how did you find out you were Autistic?

Recreation

Dorktales Storytime Podcast Jonathan Cormur inspires kids to be heroes of their own stories.

10 Picture Books for Starting A Conversation About Autism Books for kids by autistic authors.

HEALTH + WELLNESS

39 42

Stimming From Evolution to Revolution. Benefits of Exercise on Anxiety & Depression Prioritizing our mental and physical health.

therapy

46 47

Spectrum Life Resource Directory New renovations happening online this spring! Upcoming Autism Empowerment Activities Acceptance, Enrichment, Inspiration and Empowerment

www.spectrumlife.org

FROM THE PUBLISHER

SpectrumLife TM

m a g a z i n e

SPRING 2022 | VOLUME 11, ISSUE 1 SPECTRUM LIFE MAGAZINE TM A program of Autism Empowerment TM Karen Krejcha, Autism Empowerment, Publisher Dave Born, Graphic Designer

Spring is considered to be a season of new beginnings and a season of hope. Here at Spectrum Life Magazine, we have exciting news to share. We’re gaining a sister publication! Autism Empowerment has added an award-winning national digital autism magazine under our nonprofit umbrella. We invite you to learn more in our cover story, ZOOMing in with Conner Cummings on page 7 and A New Chapter for Autism Empowerment, Geek Club Books and Zoom Autism Magazine on page 10. Until autistic people of all ages, abilities, and intersecting identities have the support to be safe, healthy, enriched, and empowered to live their best lives possible, we will continue advocating for positive change. One way we do this is through sharing stories and articles from autistic creators that shine a light on our accomplishments, our challenges, and our experiences. In this issue, we are adding two new regular series, #AskingAutistics with Lyric Holmans (page 18) and A Day in the Life by Jenny Bristol and Rebecca Burgess. You’ll meet Adriana White on page 29 and then see her again when she shares 10 Picture Books for Starting A Conversation About Autism on page 26. We catch up with Spring 2021’s cover model Kimi during Kimi’s EmpowHer Camp Experience (page 13) and read her disaster preparedness story The Flood (page 16). Speaking of stories, you and your family must check out Dorktales Storytime Podcast on page 21. Jonathan Cormur is a voice over actor with amazing talent! This issue also talks about important topics like Stimming (page 39), Navigating Educational Services with Staffing Shortages (page 36), and Benefits of Exercise on Anxiety and Depression (page 42). In addition to all this, we’ll be updating our websites this spring with new articles, comics, audio, video, and educational material! Wherever you identify in your autism or autistic journey, we are here to meet you along the way with acceptance, enrichment, inspiration, and empowerment for the road ahead. Come join us as an Ambassador for Autism Acceptance. We’d love your support!

Karen Krejcha Executive Director & Co-Founder: Autism Empowerment™ Editor: Spectrum Life Magazine™

www.spectrumlife.org www.spectrumsmagazine.org

Editorial Advisory Board: Amy Donaldson, Ph.D., CCC-SLP Laurie Drapela, Ph.D John Krejcha Tara O’Gorman, MSW Heather Parrott Brian Tashima Mailing address: Autism Empowerment P. O. Box 871676 Vancouver, WA 98687 (360) 852-8369 www.AutismEmpowerment.org spectrumlife@autismempowerment.org Autism Empowerment is a 501(c)3 nonprofit devoted to promoting a culture of acceptance and empowerment for children, teens, adults and families within Autism, Autistic and Asperger communities. Autism Empowerment makes no warranty, guarantee, endorsement or promotion of any service provider or therapy option listed in this publication or our websites: AutismEmpowerment.org and SpectrumLife.org. This is a free community magazine created as a courtesy to the public. Autism Empowerment cannot be held liable for any action or decision based upon information found in this publication or our websites. It is the responsibility of individuals to discuss any therapy or treatment option with their care team. Every effort is made to ensure accuracy and verify information, however readers using this information do so at their own risk. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted without prior written consent from the publisher, Autism Empowerment. © 2022 All rights reserved.

ON OUR COVER Conner Cummings is an award-winning autistic advocate who loves photography, Disney and Zoom Autism Magazine. See our ZOOMing in with Conner Cummings feature on page 7.

Photo credit: Gracie Withers Photography

Welcome to the Spring 2022 edition of Spectrum Life Magazine!

advocacy

IN THIS SECTION ZOOMing in with Conner Cummings.........................................................7 A New Chapter for Autism Empowerment .............................................. 10

www.spectrumsmagazine.org

Photo courtesy of Sharon Cummings

EMPOWERING CHANGE WITHIN THE AUTISM COMMUNITY

ADVOCACY

ZOOMing in with ZOOM Conner Cummings Autism Magazine

Autism through Many Lenses By Karen Krejcha My husband John Krejcha and I first had the pleasure of meeting Conner and Sharon Cummings in November 2021 during a Zoom video meeting. It was the perfect platform to discuss our new nonprofit partnership between Autism Empowerment and their digital publication, Zoom Autism Magazine. In this interview, we will be zooming in to learn more about their autism advocacy. Hello Sharon and Conner! Please tell us a little about yourselves. We are a Mother/Son advocacy team, both in Virginia and nationwide. Huge Disney fans. Conner is 29 years old and lives at home in Northern Virginia. Conner, how old were you when you were first diagnosed on the autism spectrum? What do you remember? I was about two years old when I was first diagnosed with autism. I remember after I was diagnosed, I had trouble communicating with words because I couldn’t speak, that is until I was seven years old. I also remember being uncomfortable with large crowds and noises at first, but recently I learned how to deal with these crowds, and loud noises don’t seem to bother me anymore. You were diagnosed in the 1990s when there wasn’t autistic rights advocacy like there is today. When did you first begin to understand your diagnosis? I began to understand autism when mom and I started to become involved in it and became advocates for autism as well as other disabilities. Although I sometimes still struggle with some of my words, I’ve learned how to communicate more in many different ways such as my fingers, typing, or body movements. I used to be shy of making new friends, but I have improved and sure made a lot of them, so I’m still learning about my diagnosis.

Sharon, when Conner was diagnosed, things were much more gloom and doom than they are today. What was that experience like as a parent, trying to find resources and advocate for your child? When Conner was diagnosed, schools knew very little. His classroom was all boys — not a single girl. We were told autism only affected boys. I was told he would never speak, never follow more than one simple command, never pass the 5th-grade level, and was expected to accept this. What were your school years like? I remember going to Navy Elementary School, but unfortunately, I wasn’t used to huge crowds of students flowing through the halls, and sometimes the fire alarm went off. Although it was only a practice fire drill, I still was frightened by it. Sometimes Navy School was a little scary at first, but other times it was a wonderful school to go to. Nowadays, I do virtual school on the phone with a special ed teacher who used to work with me at Navy. I stopped public school when they stopped believing in me. I was homeschooled by my special ed teacher and still am today. What passions and interests did you develop along the way? Over the years, I developed piano, ice skating, photography, and of course Disney, which is my biggest passion of them all, because I’ve grown up with Disney ever since I was little. Your Facebook page Conquer for Conner - My Special Love, currently has almost 12,500 followers. What kind of messages do you share with your readers? On my Facebook page, Conquer for Conner, I share messages about autism and advocating, but most importantly, the importance of being different, as I am proud to be autistic. The manyness of you is what makes everyone so unique in their own special way. Both of you have been champions for disability rights. How did you get involved in advocacy work? My mom and I got involved in advocacy by joining the Autism Society of Northern Virginia, as well as the Arc of Northern Virginia. Our friends there support us Continued on page 8

www.spectrumlife.org

ZOOMing in with Conner Cummings, continued from page 7

Photos courtesy of Sharon Cummings

no matter what because they care about people with autism and other disabilities of any kind. We started by changing a law, and we continue with birthing, creating or supporting bills to better the lives of people with disabilities. Tell us about the law which was named for you, Conner’s Law. Conner’s Law is a parental support law for children and adults with disabilities so that their parents should love and support them no matter what because if we don’t, it would be bad for all of us. Conner’s Law was passed in our state of Virginia and now we’re trying to pass it in every other state that is needed. Editor’s Note: Conner’s Law is similar to child support laws, but it is targeted to support adult children with disabilities. To learn more, visit: https://bit.ly/connerslaw We noticed in many of your photos that you wear Mickey Mouse ears. What do they represent to you? My Mickey Mouse ears represent courage, confidence and happiness, because they make me feel comfortable in large crowds and they make me happy as well as everyone else. They are no different than someone wearing a ball cap with their favorite team on it. Who have you shared Mickey Mouse ears with? I have shared my Mickey Mouse ears with the previous two Virginia governors, Governor Terry McAuliffe when Conner’s Law was passed, Governor Ralph Northam who was governor the last few years, and soon Governor Glenn Youngkin. You’ve also received awards and recognition for your accomplishments. Tell us about that. In 2015, I won the Advocate of the Year award by the Autism Society of America in Denver and the Virginia Commencement award by the general assembly of Virginia. Both awards are for my advocacy work and also for passing Conner’s Law, a parental support law in our state. In 2016, I also won the Temple Grandin Award.

www.spectrumlife.org www.spectrumsmagazine.org

My most recent recognition was the 2021 Martha Glennan Disability Inclusion & Equality Award for promoting equal rights and integration of people with disabilities. Conner, you’re considered the heart and soul of Zoom Autism Magazine. How did you become involved? Zoom Autism Magazine is a nonprofit award-winning autism magazine of empowerment. I became involved in the magazine by taking pictures for their magazine covers for different issues, and also interviewing some individuals about different topics about autism. This opportunity allows me to include friends and meet others to give them an outlet to shine their way. What makes Zoom Autism Magazine unique? It’s a special digital magazine featuring autistic creators that is dedicated to individuals with autism and other disabilities, sharing their stories about spreading awareness and overcoming obstacles in life that inspire them to be proud of who they truly are. What is the meaning behind the name “Zoom”? The name Zoom was chosen because I am a photographer and we took my talent to zoom in to our lives, our future, and our past. In the middle of the circle is a light zooming in, which encourages you to Believe and Hope, a light for all of us to shine. Now we all use Zoom to communicate virtually, which is very helpful for people with disabilities. That makes it even more special. They can Zoom in to communicate virtually and through our magazine. How special is that? Tell us about the relationship you both developed with original Zoom Autism Magazine co-founder Jodi Murphy, her son Jonathan Cormur, and Geek Club Books. We met them for the first time when they flew to our state. We connected instantly and they’ve helped us spread autism awareness using some of their storytelling and pop culture from Geek Club Books ever since. We also had another instrumental partner in the founding of Zoom Autism Magazine, Sharon Fuentes and her son Jacob. They now live in Florida. He is in college excelling in studies and Continued on next page

ZOOMing in with Conner Cummings, continued from page 8 happy with who he has become, and Ms. Sharon is making beautiful wreaths.

How can our readers get in touch with you to view your photography and to learn more about your advocacy work?

What has been your favorite issue to work on?

You and your readers can get in touch with me by looking me up on my personal Facebook page called Conquer for Conner – My Special Love, as well as my photography website called Conner Cummings Photography. You can also email me or my mom, Sharon Cummings at zoomautism@gmail.com.

I actually don’t have a favorite issue, because each one of them has their own special moments. Autism Empowerment is thrilled to be partnering with you in reimagining the publication for the future. How do you feel about the new relationship? I feel excited about relating to Autism Empowerment because I’m hopeful that it’ll bring an even bigger impact by spreading more kindness and confidence for everyone with autism than ever before. I know you do not want us to change, just zoom and shine together! (Editor’s note: Prior to Zoom Autism Magazine becoming a nonprofit program of Autism Empowerment in 2022, it was a nonprofit program of Geek Club Books. Learn more in our article A New Chapter for Autism Empowerment on page 10.)

www.facebook.com/conquerforconner www.ConnerCummingsPhotography.com What else is important for Spectrum Life Magazine readers to know? I would like all of you from Spectrum Life Magazine to know that every one of us with autism and other disabilities of any color or culture is very unique and one-of-a-kind in our own special way.

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ADVOCACY

A New Chapter for

Autism Empowerment,

ZOOM Autism Magazine

Geek Club Books and Zoom Autism Magazine Dear Autism Empowerment Friends, ONCE UPON A TIME...

including the popular series, #AskingAutistics by Lyric Holmans, and Actually Autistic Adults in the Real World: A Day in Our Lives by Jenny Bristol and Rebecca Burgess.

There were two nonprofits founded by two families who wanted to positively improve public perception about autism. The year was 2011 for Autism Empowerment and 2012 for Geek Club Books. The founders of Autism Empowerment were Karen and John Krejcha. The founder of Geek Club Books was Jodi Murphy.

In 2018, Zoom Autism Magazine also became a part of Geek Club Books nonprofit. Led by Conner and Sharon Cummings, it grew to become an all-autistic written publication, covering important themes about living an authentic autistic life.

Although they did not know of each other at that time, the founders both had similar motivations. Both had children diagnosed on the autism spectrum but when looking around for information that would provide acceptance, hope and empowerment, it was rare to be seen. The theme at the time was doom and gloom, both for autistic people and for their parents.

With so much amazing written, audio, visual and video content, it was naturally a great surprise to the Autism Empowerment team when they learned in late fall 2021 that Geek Club Books would be closing its nonprofit at the end of the year.

These were not feelings that the founders had about themselves or their children and they knew something had to change. Over the following years, both nonprofits in their own ways would use their strengths and gifts, as well as those of many autistic creators and advocates, to shine a light on the challenges autistic people face as well as their successes and accomplishments. And their paths would cross: • Jonathan (Cormur) Murphy, Jodi Murphy’s son, was on Autism Empowerment Radio interviewed by Karen for his work as a union voice over actor. • Jodi Murphy was on Autism Empowerment Radio to talk about her work at Geek Club Books. She also wrote an article for the Autism Empowerment website entitled, “Super Powers? Moms Trump Super Heroes Every Time”. • Jonathan Murphy was back on Autism Empowerment Radio with Autism Empowerment Board Member Brian Tashima to talk about the audiobook voice over work he did for Brian’s first book in the Joel Suzuki Series, Secret of the Songshell. • Karen Krejcha was published in the first volume of Autimisms, a digital ebook published by Geek Club Books. As the years continued, Geek Club Books hit their stride. Their Autistic team of creators in partnership with parents, family members, and professional allies accomplished many projects aimed at activating and amplifying autistic voices. There were comics, BlueBee TeeVee educational videos, school assemblies, acceptance campaigns, school guides, author interviews and hundreds of personal articles and essays,

www.spectrumlife.org

CONTINUING THE LEGACY

We reached out to Jodi Murphy to ask her if Autism Empowerment could help carry on the legacy of Geek Club Books by becoming the new nonprofit home for their content and continuing to provide honorariums to autistic creators for their work. “I am thrilled that Autism Empowerment, an autistic and neurodiverse-run organization, will be hosting our most requested and downloaded content! Now, even more parents, professionals and educators can have access to resources from the autistic perspective.” - Jodi Murphy Jodi has been shining a light and amplifying autistic and neurodivergent voices for years. Through Geek Club Books, she has truly helped make this world a better place for autistic children, adults, and their loved ones. She felt positive about our vision, and soon after, we began working behind the scenes to get everything transferred. Jodi connected us to Sharon and Conner Cummings of Zoom Autism Magazine to discuss the magazine’s future. Conner’s two favorite words are ‘Believe’ and ‘Magic’. ‘Believe’ is my favorite word and I truly believe that all of you have something to say. I want you to be able to say it... no matter how you communicate. We see you - We hear you! - Conner Cummings We’re thrilled to report our partnership with them! Autism Empowerment is now the new nonprofit home for future issues. We’re also the library for the PDF versions of the previous 18 issues. You can view those at www.spectrumlife.org/zoomautism To learn more about Conner and Sharon and the origins of Zoom Autism Magazine, see our cover story, ZOOMing in with Conner Cummings on page 7.

Continued on next page

A New Chapter for Autism Empowerment, continued from page 10 But that’s not all of the good news! We’re excited to announce that many of the autistic writers, illustrators and creators who were Geek Club Books regulars will now be ongoing contributors to Autism Empowerment and Spectrum Life Magazine. They’re each very talented and passionate. We know they’ll fit right in with our positive, affirming, neurodivergent team!

Starting Spring 2022:

WHAT’S COMING TO AUTISM EMPOWERMENT

We look forward to continuing to provide freelance opportunities for autistic creators through our article-rich, resource-based website, the Autism Empowerment Podcast, Spectrum Life Magazine, and Zoom Autism Magazine.

Here is a sample of some of the content that Autism Empowerment will be adding to both www.SpectrumLife.org and our new www.AutismEmpowerment.org website beginning in spring 2022. • Comics • A Day in Our Lives - Actually Autistic Adults in the Real World (series with Jenny Bristol and Rebecca Burgess will continue online and in Spectrum Life Magazine) • Mighty League 1 & 2: Autistic Comic Book • Comics in PDF form for download • Bluebee TeeVee Autism Information Station videos featuring James Sullivan and Jonathan Murphy • Autism EDU - Autism Facts and Education • Other Articles of interest • Curious Interviews, Autism Entrepreneurs, Autism at Work • Penfriend Project Blogs featuring • #AskingAutistics series by Lyric Holmans / Neurodivergent Rebel • Emma Dalmayne, Becca Lory Hector, Gretchen McIntire, Chloe Rothschild, James Sullivan, Lydia Wayman, and Adriana White

This is when you’ll start to see mighty changes at www.AutismEmpowerment.org. Watch for all the Geek Club Books and Zoom Autism Magazine content listed above to start rolling out in spring 2022 and to be added on a weekly basis.

ALL NEW CHAPTERS IN OUR STORIES Also during this first quarter, we begin our work in partnership with Conner and Sharon Cummings on the reimagining of Zoom Autism Magazine, including the creation of a dedicated area on the Autism Empowerment website to house all of the publication’s content and information. Although the Geek Club Books nonprofit has ended, Jodi will continue championing neurodiversity and amplifying autistic voices. She’s currently enjoying working with her son, Jonathan Cormur and daughter, Molly Murphy, on inclusive storytelling. Their Dorktales Storytime Podcast is a family-fun series featuring slightly wacky and very geeky retellings of classic fairy tales with important life lessons and true stories about the hidden heroes of history. See our feature on the many voices of Jonathan Cormur and his work on the Dorktales Storytime Podcast on page 21 and then listen in to the podcast at www.jonincharacter.com/dorktales. As for our nonprofit Autism Empowerment? We’re excited for the next chapter! Come join us!

• Zoom Autism Magazine • Issues #1 - 12 in PDF/eZine format • Issues #13 - 18 in PDF + individual featured articles • Production of new issues begins! OUR “ROLLING OUT” PLANS We will be redesigning the www.AutismEmpowerment.org website in the first quarter of 2022 to make it the launching pad and online resource library for all our educational content, training and programs. Starting March: While we are working behind the scenes on our main website, we want you to have a sneak peek at the quality of content and rich resources that are going to be offered. We will start by creating a page for Zoom Autism Magazine at www.spectrumlife.org/zoomautism and adding links to issues #1-18. We will then add content weekly to our SpectrumLife.org website (also home to Spectrum Life Magazine, the Spectrum Life blog, and the Spectrum Life resource directory).

Karen Krejcha is a co-founder of Autism Empowerment, where she serves as Executive Director. She is Editor of Spectrum Life Magazine and host of the Autism Empowerment Podcast. Karen was diagnosed on the autism spectrum in her 40s, after the diagnosis of her two children. She has been married to John Krejcha for over 29 years and is devoted to being a loving wife, mom, daughter and ambassador of acceptance and empowerment worldwide. John Krejcha is a co-founder of Autism Empowerment and serves as Programs Director where he oversees Community Outreach. He also serves on the Editorial Advisory Board of Spectrum Life Magazine. John is married to co-founder, Karen Krejcha and is the father of two amazing children and their cat, Zula. While John is the only one in the family who is not on the autism spectrum, he is a neurodivergent and loving ally.

www.spectrumlife.org

lifespan

Photo courtesy of Disability EmpowHer Network

ALL AGES AND ABILITIES

IN THIS SECTION Kimi’s EmpowHer Camp Experience........................................................ 13 The Flood by Kimi Dyment........................................................................... 16 #AskingAutistics with Lyric Holmans..................................................... 18

www.spectrumlife.org

LIFESPAN

Kimi’s EmpowHer Camp Experience Disaster Preparedness, Survival, Fun By Karen Krejcha Each summer, ten disabled young women are invited by Disability EmpowHer Network to the Adirondacks for one week to have fun, connect with other disabled girls, meet mentors, and learn about disaster preparedness, all while developing leadership and survival skills. One of 2021’s leadership camp attendees was Kimi Dyment, a 17-year-old high school junior from Vancouver, Washington. Regular readers may remember Kimi from the cover of our Spring 2021 issue where the feature story was about Kimi’s experience with Disability EmpowHer Network’s Letter from A Role Model mentoring program. Now a year later, we’re excited to welcome Kimi and her mom Brandi back to Spectrum Life Magazine to learn about Kimi’s EmpowHer Camp experience and share her disaster preparedness project with autism and disabilities communities. Hello Brandi and Kimi! What’s new in the Dyment family since we spoke with you last year? Brandi: Not much in the Dyment family has changed over the last year. We are slowly starting to get back in the swing of having things on the calendar again. Like everyone else, we are getting pretty proficient at Zoom meetings and being flexible when things change quickly due to safety protocols. For those not familiar with Kimi, tell us a little bit about yourself. Kimi: I’m 17 and autistic. I’m in 11th grade. My biggest strength is using my imagination. I love to create stories in my head. I really love Star Wars and the show, Masked Singer. I’m known for my great hugs but only give them to people I like. Congratulations on being selected to attend EmpowHer Camp! Did you have the same mentor you were matched with from the Letter from a Role Model Program? Brandi: Kimi got matched with a new mentor while at camp. Her name is Sophie. While at camp, they hit it off wonderfully. Sophie has a quiet nature and doesn’t mind taking Kimi’s lead when it comes to communication. Sophie and Kimi meet every month to work on Kimi’s disaster preparedness project that they started back at camp. Kimi: Sophie is my mentor. She has one leg and is very sweet. I picked Sophie as my mentor because when we

met at camp, I felt like we had a good connection. She is neither loud nor quiet and has a great smile. I talk to Sophie once a month about my project. Tell us more about EmpowHer Camp. What is the program all about? Brandi: I wanted Sophie, Kimi’s mentor to answer this question for you. Sophie: EmpowHer Camp is a yearlong mentorship program where disabled girls work with mentors on a yearlong community project that helps them to build confidence, leadership skills, and life skills. The program starts with a week of camping in the Adirondacks as the girls connect with the mentors, learn survival and life skills, and experience the power of a community rooted in interdependence and empowerment. It was incredible to see all of the girls grow more confident in just one week. It was life-changing for everyone involved. How would you describe the theme of the camp? Brandi: I think the theme of the camp is Self Acceptance. This camp taught the girls about allowing everyone to be unapologetically themselves. The first thing Kimi was told at camp is that we don’t say sorry because we can’t do something. Instead, we ask for help and help when someone else needs it. Kimi learned how to advocate for herself and also to help others when it is needed. How would you describe the demographics of the camp’s attendees and leaders? Brandi: The participants in Kimi’s cohort ranged in age from 14 to 17, coming from all over the United States with a wide range of physical disabilities and neurodiversity. The mentors were all empowered disabled women, many who never previously had a camp experience. They were having it for the first time alongside the girls. Everyone who attended, whether mentor or camper, all experienced a disability, and worked together to help and empower each other. Here are links to EmpowHer Camp participants and mentor pages in case Spectrum Life Magazine readers would like more information: https://www.disabilityempowhernetwork.org/participants2022 https://www.disabilityempowhernetwork.org/mentors2022

Continued on page 14 www.spectrumlife.org

Kimi’s EmpowHer Camp Experience, continued from page 13 I understand each girl helped fundraise for their trip. What did you do?

Kimi: At camp we would go to the campfire area for meals. Then we had numerous activities teaching us about different survival skills. I learned how to make a fire, build a shower, and even drank from a LifeStraw. A LifeStraw is a straw that can let you drink from any water source. What was your favorite part of camp? Kimi: My favorite part of camp was meeting other girls and women with disabilities because I was glad to know I wasn’t the only one.

Photo courtesy of Disability EmpowHer Network

Brandi: Fundraising was an interesting experience. Part of the program’s requirements were that each girl should raise a specific dollar amount by fundraising from at least three different sources. That meant she couldn’t just ask mom or dad to give the money. It had to come from her. So after lots of ideas, Kimi decided to make sets of greeting cards. We thought we would sell about 20 sets of greeting cards and ended up selling over 80 sets of cards.

Kimi, what was a typical day like for you at camp?

Kimi: I made my own designed cards with funny pictures and sayings. My favorite was the birthday card I designed. I sold more cards than I thought I would. They were very popular! Brandi, I understand you flew with Kimi back to New York. Did you attend camp too? Brandi: My twin sister and I flew with Kimi to New York. We did not attend camp but explored Albany for the five days they were gone. Two mentors met Kimi at the airport and along with another camper, drove them to camp. It was extremely hard watching her drive away but knowing that these women can identify with her as a disabled person and share the struggles that I may never know, was how I was able to wave and smile through the tears.

www.spectrumlife.org

What did you find the most challenging? Kimi: The hardest part was getting used to the outdoors. I had to sleep in a lean-to that didn’t have one wall. It also rained a lot while we were camping. I like being indoors, so being outside was not my thing, but I survived. How did attending camp build your leadership and survival skills? Kimi: I learned a lot more about being in the wilderness and how to survive. I also learned how we can all do things differently but get to the same result. Continued on next page

Kimi’s EmpowHer Camp Experience, continued from page 14 I understand you’ll be reuniting with your camp friends and mentors in Washington D.C. this summer. What will you be doing there? Brandi: Kimi leaves for D.C. on July 23rd and gets to reunite with all her camp friends and mentors to present her yearlong project and explore her growth in leadership and discuss disaster preparedness. This trip also coincides with the National Council on Independent Living (NCIL) Annual Conference in Washington D.C. The girls and mentors will be coordinating their day on the hill with the NCIL schedule and will be a part of a rally to promote independent living for people with disabilities. How has your life changed since attending EmpowHer Camp? Kimi: I feel a lot more confident since camp. I feel more independent and grown up doing such hard things without my parents. Brandi, you and your husband Eddie must be so proud of Kimi’s growth and transformation. What changes have you noticed in the past year? Brandi: We are so incredibly proud of Kimi. We saw the transformation in her immediately. She came back from camp empowered with who she is as an autistic individual. One of the mentors told me a story about when she first met Kimi. Jenny is a proud disabled woman with physical disabilities. Kimi saw Jenny and said, “Your arms look weird.” Jenny explained to Kimi that she was born with limited use of her arms but said she was very strong. Kimi responded with “I don’t believe you.” Jenny then proceeded to have Kimi grab a hold of one of her arms and lifted Kimi out of her seat. Kimi said, “Ok, I believe you!”

many disabled girls and women, and we wanted to change that. Not only does EmpowHer Camp help young women with disabilities connect with successful disabled women role models, but builds confidence and skills in the girls and women alike while challenging some of the most basic stereotypes about girls with disabilities — yes, we can survive in the woods; yes, we can prepare for disasters; and yes, we can and should lead.” Kimi, we’re excited to share your Disaster Preparedness leadership project with our audience. What story did you choose to tell? Kimi: I chose as my project to write a story about an autistic girl who was preparing for surviving a flood with her family. I chose this topic because I wanted to learn what kind of things an autistic person might do differently in preparing for a disaster. It was tough getting my ideas out and thinking about what other people might do. We’re glad you persevered because your ideas are definitely worth paying attention to!

During camp, Kimi assisted Jenny several times by helping her put on her sweatshirt. By the end of camp, Kimi said to Jenny, “Your arms are still weird, but you can do lots of things. And the things you can’t do, I will help you.”

Check out The Flood by Kimi Dyment on page 16.

Kimi learned so much about disability pride and not allowing the things that you aren’t so good at to keep you from doing the things you are. We are learning more about giving Kimi autonomy in decisions and letting her choose what is right for her.

www.disabilityempowhernetwork.org www.disabilityempowhernetwork.org/empowhercampprogram

Before we move onto Kimi’s project, what else would you like for Spectrum Life Magazine readers to know about EmpowHer Camp? Brandi: I would like to share a quote from the camp director Stephanie Woodward about why she started EmpowHer Camp. Stephanie Woodward, Executive Director, Disability EmpowHer Network: “I never had any disabled women role models growing up and I felt really alone. I always thought I needed to accomplish things despite my disability, because I never saw an empowered disabled woman accomplish things while embracing her disability. This is an experience for far too

For more information about Disability EmpowHer Network or EmpowHer Camp, visit:

Applications for the Class of 2023 EmpowHer Camp are open through April 1st, 2022.

“Trailblazing” Karen Krejcha is a co-founder of Autism Empowerment, where she serves as Executive Director. She is Editor of Spectrum Life Magazine and host of the Autism Empowerment Podcast. Karen was diagnosed on the autism spectrum in her 40s, after the diagnosis of her two children. She has been married to John Krejcha for over 29 years and is devoted to being a loving wife, mom, daughter and ambassador of acceptance and empowerment worldwide.

www.spectrumlife.org

The Flood By Kimi Dyment Beep Beep Beep! “We interrupt this program, to bring you urgent news. Flood concerns heightened this week with heavy rains and severe storms in the forecast. Some residents might have to evacuate and move to higher ground.” Piper heard this on the news and immediately told her parents. “Mom and Dad, on the news they said there will be a flood. What should we do?”

Piper also made sure she had her stuffed bear, Brownie, which always helps bring her comfort. Piper assisted her family by creating a checklist for all these items. It started to rain. It rained heavily and water started to flood the ground. Piper and her family knew that the news report was right. The flood was coming. Piper felt very scared. Her mom helped her by giving her lots of squeezes. Squeezes feel good and help Piper stay relaxed.

Her parents decided to help her with how to prepare for the flood. Piper has autism and needs specific details and instructions on how to be prepared so she doesn’t get overwhelmed. Sometimes when there is a lot of talking or large words, Piper can get confused.

As the water slowly began to rise in their yard, Piper’s family knew it was time to escape. They had been prepared to go to Piper’s grandparents’ house which was on higher ground a few towns away. As they drove, the puddles were very large, and there was lots of splashing. It looked like the streets had turned into rivers. As they drove, Piper hugged Max. She kept going over the evacuation routes and checklists to keep her nerves calmed down.

The first step for Piper and her family is to learn and practice evacuation routes, and shelter plans. They made a social story to help Piper understand and prepare for the possible flood. Piper’s parents created a visual map showing Piper the way to evacuate her house and neighborhood. Piper helped by drawing pictures for the map and learning what to do.

When Piper arrived at her grandparents’ house, she felt calm but still scared for her home. Everyone watched the news and waited to hear when the storm would be over. The next evening the rains slowly started to die down. Piper’s family heard from the emergency response team that it was safe to go back to their house, so Piper and her family returned to their home.

Next, Piper and her family created an emergency kit. The emergency kit included bandages, medicine, nonperishable food, water, batteries, a battery-operated radio, blankets, and a flashlight.

When they got back, they found that water had flooded their basement. The damage was not too bad, but they had to get the basement repaired. Piper helped her mom and dad clean up the basement, and Piper was relieved that the rest of her house was ok.

Piper knew that if the power went out, having batteries, a battery-operated radio, and a flashlight would help her family be safe. They bought nonperishable foods so that they would not expire before they could eat them. They had enough to survive at least three days. Piper also included items for her pet dog, Max.

Piper found out her friend Lily’s house was completely flooded and they lost all of the items in their home. Piper wanted to help Lily. Piper donated clothes, food, and toys to help Lily feel better about all the things she lost.

Her parents checked that they put their important documents in a waterproof container. The waterproof container makes sure that if the flood comes, these items won’t get wet and ruined.

Afterward, Piper and her family restocked their emergency kit with new batteries, nonperishable foods, and other supplies. Piper set a reminder for herself to check the kit again in six months to make sure her supplies were still good. Now Piper and her family were ready if another emergency came.

Piper and her parents also included sensory tools to help Piper manage stress for the upcoming event. Some of these tools were a stress ball, chewy necklaces, noise-reducing headphones, and a downloaded calming playlist for Piper to play.

Piper handled the flood well because she was able to be prepared for this disaster. Her autism actually helped her be prepared for this disaster because she was able to focus on making checklists and planning ahead.

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The Flood, continued from page 16

Discussion Guide: 1.) List a few items that you would want to have in your emergency kit. 2.) What would be your checklist of things to do to prepare for an emergency? 3.) Why is it important to plan ahead? 4.) What is a location you could go to if you needed to evacuate? 5.) Who is in charge of your emergency response team in your area? 6.) Who can tell you if it is safe to stay or go back to your house? 7.) How do you think you would feel if you were experiencing a flood? 8.) What can you do to help others who experience natural disasters? If you want to prepare for an emergency and need more advice, Kimi suggests you check out https://www.ready.gov/kids

Kimi Dyment is a proudly autistic 17-year-old 11th grader living in Vancouver, Washington. She’s known for her great hugs but only gives them to people she likes. Her biggest strength is using her imagination and she loves creating stories in her head. Kimi really loves Star Wars and the show Masked Singer.

Washington State

Call 888-754-8798 ext.1 Visit us online at: https://ddetf.wa.gov

Find out if you’re eligible A Washington State ABLE Account is a flexible and convenient way for people living with disabilities to keep their current benefits while also investing in their life to come. www.spectrumlife.org

LIFESPAN

#AskingAutistics When & How They Found Out They Were Autistic Autism Empowerment is excited to announce that starting with this Spring 2022 issue, Lyric Holmans will be producing their #AskingAutistics column quarterly for Spectrum Life Magazine, and monthly for our online blog at www.SpectrumLife.org. Enjoy!

By Lyric Holmans, NeuroDivergent Rebel My name is Lyric, and I am a thirty-four-year-old Autistic and ADHD adult. For most of my life, I had unintentionally hidden my differences. Because Autism and ADHD, and other NeuroTypes are invisible differences, I didn’t find out I was Autistic until I was almost thirty. Not knowing this crucial detail significantly impacted me. I grew up thinking I was NeuroTypical, working hard to hold myself to nonAutistic expectations. The wounds from the trauma of not understanding my mind run deep. Even now (more than five years after learning the truth), I am still working to recover from the pain of being constantly told I wasn’t enough and not understanding why goals other people took for granted felt impossible for me. Struggling beneath the crushing pressure of nonAutistic expectations that I couldn’t attain was a traumatic experience that caused great harm to my mental and physical health. I pushed myself until I broke, mentally, physically, and emotionally until I couldn’t do it anymore. Leading up to my diagnosis, the coping mechanisms that I’d developed to survive in the NeuroTypical world had begun to fail, one by one. I remember my panic, as the complex social mask that had kept me safe for most of my life, allowing me to move secretly in NeuroTypical society, began to fall apart.

However, it was harder to find Autistic first-hand perspectives when I was first diagnosed. Resources were limited, even if you knew where to look (blogs and the #ActuallyAutistic hashtag on Tumbler, Twitter, and sometimes Instagram). Often Autistic voices were buried deep below massive amounts of nonAutistic medicalized autism chatter. Google was filled with gloom and doom, non-autistics complaining about the Autistics in their lives, doctors and evaluations focused on early childhood interventions, and very little information for or by Autistic adults. Five and a half years ago, many Autistic-led conversations were happening over hashtags on Twitter, Tumblr private message forums, and blogs that didn’t index well within Google’s search results. #ActuallyAutistic is a hashtag intended to be used only by Autistic people. It is a tag that Autistic people wave like a banner, helping us connect in Autism conversations often dominated by nonAutistic parents and service providers talking about us without us, mostly ignoring those of us who want to speak for ourselves. When I was first diagnosed, there wasn’t a tag that let people engage with Autistics regardless of their NeuroTypes.

I began to wonder how much more I would be able to take and had started to give up on myself, the world, and life when I found out I was Autistic a few months before my 30th birthday.

Though many people were speaking over Autistics, there were also allies, ready and eager to learn from us, who were not Autistic but had many questions for those willing to share.

That piece of information saved me. It set me free. Learning I was not NeuroTypical changed my life. It was a pivotal moment that shifted my entire worldview, changing the expectations I held for myself and others around me.

Parents, caregivers, service providers, and loved ones who wanted to know how to best support the Autistics in their lives, were desperate for help that came from outside of a medicalized perspective.

Five and a half years ago, when I was diagnosed as Autistic, my life restarted. I stopped comparing myself to NeuroTypical People, prioritizing their needs, and gave up on striving towards society’s goals for me.

#AskingAutistics was created out of the need to learn from Autistic people about Autistic experiences. It was created so people learning about Autism (Autistic or not) could cut through the medical chatter, and is intended to be a bridge, inviting Autistic People to share their life experiences, giving non-autistics a peek into the minds of Autistics worldwide.

With the cursing weight of nonAutistic expectations removed, my joy and confidence began to return. As I began to learn more about my invisible differences, I found comfort in the words of other Autistic People, devouring books, videos, and content by Autistic creators.

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#AskingAutistics, continued from page 18 Each month, I pick a thought-provoking question from #AskingAutistics on Twitter and get to expand on those thoughts while highlighting the diversity within our spectrum. In this welcome piece, I ask: #ActuallyAutistic #AskingAutistics how did you find out you were Autistic? How old were you when you found out? I will go first: I found out because of Autistic burnout, from Autistic masking making me physically & mentally ill. I had to be in crisis to be diagnosed. I was 29.

related to every detail so heavily I started sobbing. https://linktr.ee/MZhetWai minotaurobrisa: As a teacher, I heard my coworkers describe some of our students as “atypical” time and again, while thinking “but I was like this as a child, I didn’t know this was atypical”. I finally decided to learn about autism in adults and BINGO. Self-diagnosis at 36. @minotaurobrisa Taylor B.: I was 25 having burnout and daily shutdowns/ meltdowns. Seeing Autistic characters in tv shows (specifically Entrapta from She-Ra) and Tiktoks about Autism traits in women gave me the language I needed to take to my psychiatrist for a diagnosis. Moa Ledin: I was 7 when I was diagnosed. They tested how fast I could change activities, and I remember running around with a man who worked at the hab center. I was reminded of it when I was 9 and about to change school. Barely anyone pointed out things about me tbh. There were other kids who later on got diagnosed with autism, ADHD and whatnot who were more obvious, so I was the odd but calm one. Maxwell Augie: 2 years ago at 28. Shortly after my friend was diagnosed and she told me I should see her psychologist. No psychologist or psychiatrist before that ever mentioned it, and I saw many. @maxwellaut

Responses from #ActuallyAutistic Twitter: (Editor’s note: Out of respect to #ActuallyAutistic contributors and Twitter styling, tweets have been posted as submitted and are a sampling of many responses. To search #ActuallyAutistic on Twitter, visit: https://bit.ly/askingautisticstwitter) Lindsey F: A lifetime of masking, which led to years of autistic burnout, which led to a breakdown that resulted in me receiving counseling. The counsellor brought Autism to my attention, and I was diagnosed soon after, at age 37. @L2theK2theF Anonymous: 37, doing research on cognitive accessibility for client work. Lightning flashed and my whole life suddenly made more sense. Mukomi Darrett-Bandele: I was helping my then 12-year-old son through an evaluation for Autism, and I identified with A LOT of the questions. It took me years to get the guts to bring it up to my therapist. I got diagnosed at 40. Markus Zhet-Wai: I found out when I was 18 or 19 (it was sometime last year in 2021, I just don’t remember the month). I had suspicions for a while, but I was never confident. I realized when I read a long thread from an Autistic and

Adora YW: I was 12 or 13 and had just read the Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime. I also finished taking university-level courses that year and knew I was really different from everyone else. However, a diagnosis was not possible until I was 28! Michele Cacano: I found out I had ADHD at around age 41. I’m just now realizing how much I have in common with people who know they are autistic...like, the past six months? Flushed face Still exploring. It’s crazy how much I relate to things Autism that I’ve always been told is just me/I have to control. @MicheleCacano Red: I’m most likely in the minority (mostly bc I’m AFAB), but I always knew I was autistic. I was diagnosed at the age of 2 (right before my 3rd bday). I don’t know life outside of Autism, a time I wasn’t on meds, or when I wasn’t CONSTANTLY reminded that I was autistic. To join in the conversation, here is the link to the original tweet: https://twitter.com/NeuroRebel/status/1485640056362741766 Autism Empowerment has also published a variety of Lyric’s previous #AskingAutistics columns online. To learn more, please visit www.spectrumlife.org/askingautistics

Lyric Holmans is an autistic self-advocate from Texas who runs the neurodiversity lifestyle blog Neurodivergent Rebel. They are also the founder of NeuroDivergent Consulting. Lyric is known as the pioneer of the #AskingAutistics hashtag, where simple questions prompt open-ended responses that Autistic people can easily chime in with, and invites participants to engage each other in conversations related to the topic. This hashtag connects NeuroDiverse people who would not otherwise have a reason to engage with each other, and fosters collective understanding of the Autistic experience. www.neurodivergentrebel.com.

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IN THIS SECTION Dorktales Storytime Podcast..............................................................21 10 Picture Books for Starting A Conversation About Autism...... 26

Photo courtesy of Jodi Murphy

INCLUSIVE WAYS TO HAVE FUN

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Jonathan Cormur Inspires Kids to be Heroes of their Own Stories By Karen Krejcha I first had the pleasure of interviewing Jonathan (Murphy) Cormur for our Autism Empowerment Radio Podcast in 2013. We learned about how he turned childhood challenges into opportunities to help others, chatted about his blossoming acting career, and listened joyfully while he charmed our listeners with samples of a wide range of fun character voices. Fast forward to 2022. Jonathan is still doing great things. He is now the star of the funny and empowering family and children’s podcast, Dorktales Storytime and we’re excited to share his journey with you. Here’s Jonathan!

STORIES from the SPECTRUM Autism from an Autistic perspective

The person you will read about in this article, see performing on a stage, hear voicing a character, or listen to on the Dorktales Storytime Podcast, is a galaxy’s distance away from the boy I used to be. I was the kid in the corner pacing back and forth, the boy who wanted to go unnoticed and be left alone to live inside my own mind. I read that someone once said that autism is like being a hedgehog. Hedgehogs want to get close to other hedgehogs, but because of their spines, they’re afraid getting too close will hurt. That was me. I wanted to reach out to people but I was so afraid of getting rejected. And I had a reason to be fearful because kids my age never understood me. Whenever I was the real me, I got laughed at or bullied. No, best to keep my head down and remain invisible. Thanks to the support of my family, friends and teachers who cared about me, I began a journey towards engagement and connection. They consistently pushed me to the forefront, encouraging me to be myself and take on challenges they knew I could handle — even when I resisted, they never gave up on me. I felt inner-pressure to be ‘typical’ and set myself up for disappointment when I couldn’t live up to society’s norms. When I let go of those expectations, my attitude turned positive and my life changed dramatically. I discovered something I was really good at and a path towards independence! I’m not a technical genius nor an athlete, but when I act, people take notice and pay attention. I cannot improvise in life, but I am masterful on stage or in a sound booth. I’ve done Shakespeare, musicals, and children’s theater. Today, I am a member of the actor’s union, and I’ve been hired to do character voices on video games, apps, toys, podcasts...even for a major theme park. Being autistic hasn’t stopped me from achieving and pursuing my dreams.

Jonathan, what were some of your early childhood interests? I have always enjoyed stories—books, movies, cartoons, plays—and they helped me learn about human connection, emotions, humor, and even social etiquette. Some of my favorite books were Goosebumps, especially when I could choose the ending, and The Hobbit. I was a huge fan of The Disney Afternoon’s lineup, from the Adventures of the Gummi Bears to Gargoyles (and every show in between). And, I learned the periodic table and every state capital thanks to the Animaniacs. My grandparents took me to my first musical, The Phantom of the Opera, when I was seven years old. I couldn’t take my eyes off the stage. The Phantom’s story was so tragic—he was an outcast and feared because of his outward appearance. I can still remember how the actors, the staging, the costumes and the orchestra made me feel as though I was living in the story. How did your passions encourage and inspire you to become an actor? I feel so comfortable and confident when I’m on a stage or in a recording booth. I understand what’s expected of me and I know how to connect with an audience. I invent my characters’ backstories so I can perform them with authenticity, and if a fellow actor goes off script, I can improvise dialog without missing a beat. It seems so strange to me that I can do all of these things, since I often feel socially awkward in real life. How long have you been acting professionally and what did it take to get there? I became a member of the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) in 2015. I worked towards achieving this milestone for at least nine years. I earned my AA in theater, performed in Continued on page 22 www.spectrumlife.org

Dorktales Storytime Podcast, continued from page 21 community theater, took voice over classes and workshops from professionals, auditioned, auditioned, and auditioned and did as many non-union jobs as I could to build my resume and grow my skills. What have been some of your favorite acting projects? My first voice acting job was for California’s Great America, where I did all the in-park voice over for shows, a few rides, and their Halloween Haunt. My favorite was voicing the evil Overlord, the Haunt’s official mascot. One of my favorite experiences was playing a cutscene character, Jesse, in 2K Game’s Mafia III video game. I was in a MOCAP suit and helmet, completely surrounded by cameras in a full circle, and got to perform the scene with two other actors. When I showed up at my call time, they let me know that they had completely rewritten the script! Yikes! But everyone there was so nice and supportive, and I ended up getting my part shot in two takes. Recently, I’ve had the opportunity to play characters on America’s Test Kitchen Mystery Recipe podcast and had a guest storytelling experience on the What If World podcast. Best of all, I now have an opportunity to regularly engage in storytelling and character voice acting in my own podcast, Dorktales Storytime. What is the origin story behind Dorktales Storytime? Dorktales Storytime was born out of a desire to create something that would continue our family’s mission of acceptance through storytelling. We created four original “Dorktales” in 2013, which I performed at local theaters and libraries prior to the pandemic. I found that all my skills really came together when telling these stories, and so we decided to turn the project into a podcast. We made a new logo, commissioned illustrations, and wrote up a batch of new stories. The podcast launched during the pandemic in August 2020, and has grown consistently over the past year and a half. Currently, we’re in the top 5% of all podcasts (according to Listen Notes) and we’ve been featured in Common Sense Media’s Picks for Apple Podcasts and in Podcast Magazine. What is the Dorktales Storytime Podcast? This is the podcast my sister and I wish we could have listened to when we were growing up! Dorktales Storytime is a scripted podcast featuring two kinds of tales: 1) slightly wacky and very geeky retellings of classic fairy tales with important life lessons; and, 2) untold stories about the hidden heroes of history—yesterday’s geeks, nerds and dorks who are today’s must-know visionaries, great minds, dream makers, achievers, and inventors we never learned about in school.

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Who is your primary audience? Kids and their grown-ups — especially kids who need to know that they are inherently remarkable. I learned the qualities that make me a geek and nerd are my greatest assets. I want kids to know that they can be themselves and be proud geeks too! Tell us about your sidekick Mr. Redge. Mr. Reginald T. Hedgehog, AKA Mr. Redge, is my storytelling sidekick and my BHFF (best hedgehog friend forever). He’s curious, clever, and wears his heart on his quills. He’s often the reason why I’m telling a story — to help him understand his feelings or sort through his reactions to a particular issue. Your character voices are funny, charming, witty, and quirky. How many have you created? Thank you! So far, I’ve created and voiced 69 main characters and 50 side characters for the podcast. This includes Mr. Redge, a variety of kings, queens, princesses, witches, ogres, trolls, a crypt-keeper, and a huge menagerie of sentient animals. You will also hear a few pop-culture easter eggs— including Scooby-Doo, Eeyore, and Jean Luc Picard impressions. Do you voice all the characters in the podcast? Yes, I do. Jermaine Hamilton from Hamilton Sound Studios is our podcast’s audio engineer, and I record in his studio. I perform the entire script, alternating back and forth as the different characters. This format makes the editing process easier and cost-effective, but I also think it makes the stories more engaging. In our current Season 3, some amazing voice talent will be making guest appearances on the show—I’m looking forward to this because I really enjoy the collaborative process and working with fellow voice professionals. Is each episode a unique story or do characters ever appear in multiple episodes? Most of our stories stand alone, but there are some characters who make appearances in multiple episodes. We’ve done a few stories featuring “Big Bad,” the wolf who has made quite a transformation from his huffing and puffing days. We are building a world as our canon grows and will start introducing special Dorktales lore episodes to share the origins of the lands of “Once Upon a Time.”

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Graphics courtesy of Dorktales Storytime Podcast

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Dorktales Storytime Podcast, continued from page 22 How many people are involved behind the scenes and what are their roles? We call ourselves the Dork Squad! My sister Molly is a producer and scriptwriter. She’s also working on composing and producing music for the pod, including our very own theme song! Amy Thompson is a friend and someone both Molly and I performed with when we did children’s theater together. She’s working as a writer and actor in Los Angeles, and she pens our hilarious fractured fairy tales. Jermaine Hamilton, who has worked for years in the music and audiobook industries, does our sound production, editing and mastering. Arthur Lin magically brings our stories to life through his illustrations. My mom, Jodi Murphy, is the show’s executive producer, and she keeps all of us on track so we can focus on being our creative selves. She also takes care of our social media, website and marketing. Considering your autistic neurology, what are your biggest strengths being a voice actor? When my first talent agent at my current agency signed me, he said that “autism is your greatest asset.” What he meant is that I’m responsible, professional, show up on time, can quickly memorize my scripts and sides, and I work well with directors.

thankful that my parents stayed one step ahead of me to find ways for me to grow in my skills and confidence. And they still give me all kinds of support as an independent adult. Where can readers connect with you and listen to the Dorktales Storytime Podcast? You can find the podcast at www.dorktalesstorytime.com or at www.jonincharacter.com. You can connect with me on my social media @jonincharacter on Instagram and Facebook and our podcast @dorktalesstorytime on Instagram and Facebook, and @dorktalesstory on Twitter. What else is important for Spectrum Life Magazine readers to know? Join our Dork Squad! Sign up for our newsletter because that’s where we give our fans special bonuses and resources. And we’re always looking to feature kids’ questions on the podcast in our “Mr. Redge Hotline” segments. Go to www.jonincharacter.com/contact-the-podcast for the many ways you can communicate with “Jonathan and Mr. Redge.” And finally, go be the hero of your own story and I’ll see you once-upon-a-time!

I have to say that I couldn’t do this without the support of my mom who helps me with the parts of the business I find challenging: scheduling, social media, and online networking. She makes it possible for me to be successful by just being me. Do you ever experience anxiety or stage fright? If so, what do you do to overcome that challenge? Though I experience anxiety in my day-to-day life, I don’t experience it or stage fright when it comes to performing. I also don’t take it personally when I audition and don’t get the part. What advice would you give to a neurodivergent youth or adult who might want to do voice acting? Voice acting is a very competitive career, like any creative field, so it’s important that you be patient and persistent. The absolute best way to start is by taking acting classes. Voice over doesn’t just happen from your voice alone; it takes your entire body to perform a script. When you’re ready, take some voice over classes from a reputable studio and learn about the profession. I studied for years at Voice One in San Francisco and was able to learn the craft from people who are actively working in the industry. Check into the Global Voice Acting Academy (GVAA) and The Voice Over Network for online classes and resources. What advice would you give to parents in supporting their children throughout the journey? Do what you can with the resources you have to let your kids explore their interests...you never know where it may lead. You might have to think out-of-the-box to find them opportunities, especially if they don’t already exist. I am so

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Karen “Prickles” Krejcha is a co-founder of Autism Empowerment, where she serves as Executive Director. She is Editor of Spectrum Life Magazine and host of the Autism Empowerment Podcast. Karen was diagnosed on the autism spectrum in her 40s, after the diagnosis of her two children. She has been married to John Krejcha for over 29 years and is devoted to being a loving wife, mom, daughter and ambassador of acceptance and empowerment worldwide.

Multnomah County Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Services Division (DDSD) is a part of a statewide services delivery system. We provide case management services to adults and children and help individuals and families choose and plan services and supports to live a healthy, safe and productive life. Services that may be available depending upon eligibility:

Individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities deserve a full and meaningful life. PEACE NW is here to help, we are parents helping parents.

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Case Management IEP Assistance Family Support Employment Transportation to work Supported Living Residential Career Discovery In-home Support for Children In-home Support for Adults

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Providing guidance, training & support around disabilities 360-823-2247 en Español x103 www.peacenw.org info@peacenw.org

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10 Picture Books for Starting A Conversation About Autism Books for Kids by Autistic Authors By Adriana White As a school librarian, I work hard to create a diverse collection of middle grade and young adult books. Being autistic, I also try to include books by autistic authors, whenever possible. And beyond the library walls, I speak at conferences about the importance of sharing stories about neurodiversity and mental health.

close to her. Her beautiful stories can be useful for both autistic and non-autistic readers. There’s something for everyone to enjoy in this wonderful series!

I talk about how stories can be powerful tools for introducing autism to students. I talk about how they can promote empathy and understanding in non-autistic students and staff. Stories can help explain autistic traits that may be confusing to non-autistic (or neurotypical) people.

Rosalee is the first in Filippone’s “Sensory Stories” series, and its publication was made possible through a successful Kickstarter campaign.

Most significantly, well-written stories about autism let our autistic kids know that they are not alone — that they are not broken. Stories show that the world needs all kinds of minds, and every kind of brain has its unique strengths and challenges. “That’s why stories are an essential part of autism advocacy. Because stories move us in ways that facts and statistics alone sometimes can’t.” At these conferences, one of the most frequently asked questions is, “What books should I use with little ones?” As a result, I’ve made it a personal goal to seek out great picture books about autism. While there aren’t quite as many autistic authors in the picture book market — compared to the middle grade and young adult sides of the industry — there are still some amazing books out there that are definitely worth reading. The following list of picture books is a great place to start: The Little Senses Series by Samantha Cotterill www.samanthacotterill.com Cotterill has written and illustrated several picture books, including the “Little Senses” series. Through this series, featuring titles like The Beach is Loud! and It Was Supposed to Be Sunny, Cotterill captures some common frustrations and difficulties that autistic kids face, and models ways that kids can work through these obstacles. Cotterill’s illustrations are colorful without being overwhelming, and perfectly complement her text. Cotterill is autistic, and has taken inspiration for each Little Senses story from either her own personal experiences, or the experience of someone

Rosalee the Seeker by Nicole Filippone www.nicolefilipponeauthor.com

The book is subtitled “A Sensory Processing Disorder Story,” but the story is relatable to anyone who experiences sensory processing issues. (Incidentally, SPD was removed from the 5th edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, or the DSM-5. Many who are diagnosed with SPD go on to be diagnosed with other neurodivergent conditions, like autism, ADHD, or anxiety.) Filippone herself now acknowledges that she is likely autistic, but she continues to be a strong advocate for increased understanding of sensory processing issues. Her website includes additional resources for adults, and Filippone is also currently accepting pre-orders for the second book in her Sensory Stories series, Alexander the Avoider. Rosalee is a great book that can be enormously helpful for children, parents, educators, and anyone else who wishes to learn more about sensory processing issues. Just Right for You: A Story about Autism by Melanie Heyworth, illustrated by CeART https://reframingautism.org.au | https://iamcadence.com Just Right for You is a self-published book from Australia, and both its author and illustrator are autistic women. Heyworth is an autistic mom to three autistic children, as well as a Ph.D. candidate and autism advocate. She also created the organization Reframing Autism, which offers workshops on autism to families in Australia. CeART, also known as “I am Cadence,” is an autistic artist and illustrator. In addition to Just Right, CeART has also illustrated a trio of other autism-focused book projects that are due to be released in the future. Together, these two women have created an adorable book that advocates for greater acceptance of autism. It’s also a great way to introduce the concept of autism to young children (both autistic and non-autistic). Continued on next page

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10 Picture Books for Starting A Conversation About Autism, continued from page 26

Too Sticky!: Sensory Issues with Autism by Jen Malia, illustrated by Joanne Lew-Vriethoff www.jenmalia.com | www.joannelewvriethoff.com

make adjustments to improve her interactions with an autistic child is such an amazing thing. Far too often, the onus is put on autistic people to change to fit neurotypical norms.

A young autistic girl who loves science class, but hates sticky fingers, is incredibly worried about having to make slime in class! With some reassurance from others, she is inspired to give it a try.

Coming Soon: Other Autistic Authors to Watch

This story was inspired by the real-life experiences of Malia and her children (some of whom are also autistic). Before writing this book, Malia wrote an excellent essay for The New York Times about how she and her daughter were diagnosed with autism on the same day! Additionally, this book is a great choice for those who want to integrate STEM concepts into reading.

The pandemic pushed back the publication of this book, which was originally scheduled for Spring 2021. However, the end result should be well worth the wait! Asbell is the creator of the Stimmy Kitty webcomic, which masterfully portrays autistic experiences in simple text and illustrations. Definitely keep an eye out for this one!

Talking is Not My Thing by Rose Robbins www.roserobbins.co.uk Talking is a book from the UK that tells the story of a nonspeaking autistic girl. Readers see the many ways that she communicates with her family — learning the valuable lesson that words aren’t always needed! The companion to this book, titled Me and My Sister, was inspired by the author’s real-life experiences with her autistic brother. Eventually, Robbins was diagnosed with autism herself, as well. A Spanish edition of the book, ¡Hablar no se me da bien!, is also available. Do You Want to Play? Making Friends with an Autistic Kid by Daniel Share-Strom, illustrated by Naghmeh Afshinjah www.facebook.com/autismgoggles This book comes from a Canadian author, Daniel ShareStrom, who is also an autism advocate. He began his public speaking career at a young age, and is dedicated to inspiring a more positive view of autism. This book, inspired by his personal experiences, tells the story of a non-autistic girl who wants to find the best way to play with a new autistic classmate. Seeing a neurotypical child

Flap Your Hands by Steve Asbell (Lee and Low, 2022) www.steveasbell.com

Bitsy Bat, School Star by Kaz Windness (Simon & Schuster, 2023) www.windnessbooks.com Windness is the creator of Mother Goth Rhymes, and its upcoming spin-off title, If Ur Stabby. Windness has two additional books coming in the next few years, including Bitsy Bat, School Star - the story of an autistic bat who experiences some difficulties when starting at a new school. More Children’s Books by Neurodivergent Authors Some additional picture books have previously been featured at Geek Club Books - including the fantastic Wiggles, Stomps, and Squeezes Calm My Jitters Down by Lindsey Parker and Rebecca Burgess. (A Spanish version, Meneos, Pistones, Y Apretones Para Calmar Mi Cosquilleo, is also available.) Another picture book worth mentioning is Sally J. Pla’s charming Benji, the Bad Day, and Me. Pla did a wonderful interview with Geek Club Books back in 2019. I hope all of these stories help spark important conversations about autism. I hope they help teach empathy and compassion to both children and adults. And I hope they offer neurotypical readers a small window into the complex world of autism.

Adriana White is an autistic school librarian and former special education teacher. Since being diagnosed with autism in her 30s, she has set out to create more autism-friendly schools and libraries. She is also passionate about supporting #OwnVoices books by autistic authors, and thinks that every library collection should include them. Adriana has earned Master’s degrees in Education and Information Science, with specializations in Special Education and Storytelling, respectively. She can be found on Twitter at @Adriana_Edu, where she tweets about autism, libraries, and diverse books – especially books by #AutisticAuthors! This article was originally published at Geek Club Books in July 2021. Permission for us to republish has been granted. www.spectrumlife.org

education KNOWLEDGE TO EMPOWER FAMILIES AND INDIVIDUALS

IN THIS SECTION A Day in the Life of Adriana White................................................... 29 Navigating Educational Services with Staffing Shortages ......36

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EDUCATION

A Day in the Life of Adriana White

Librarian, Teacher, and Champion for the Neurodivergent By Jenny Bristol, Illustrations by Rebecca Burgess

Adriana White is a well-educated librarian, children’s book writer, and former special education teacher. She has a Master’s in Education with a specialization in Special Education, as well as a Master’s in Library and Information Science with a certificate in Storytelling. She advocates to make schools and libraries more inclusive, and gives workshops and talks on the importance of diverse books, working to make sure her library is well stocked with such books. Every day, Adriana strives to help neurodivergent people and kids, both through large broadcasted efforts such as her writing and her recent TEDx talk, and through the small efforts of helping the children who come to her school library, by supporting their niche interests and being an understanding resource in a world not designed for the neurodivergent. She was diagnosed with autism and anxiety when she was in her 30s, and has used that information to make sense of her life’s experience ever since. When she’s not out spreading awareness, acceptance, and understanding, Adriana loves to play video games, travel, and contemplate whether she should go for a Ph.D. What does a typical workday look like for you? As a middle school librarian, a typical workday for me begins with helping students to troubleshoot issues with their school-issued laptops. After that, I do library lessons with English Language Arts and Reading classes—sometimes these lessons are focused on literacy and books, and other days we do Makerspace sessions and build things with LEGOs or cardboard. We also talk about important topics like cyberbullying and being safe online, which brings a bit of mental health into our discussions. After these lessons, students check out library books. My students are really into graphic novels and manga—especially my neurodivergent students! Something about the spacing of the panels and the art just makes it easier for them to read and understand. I also try to include as many neurodivergent authors as I can in our library collection, and I make displays to promote these books. Students will often give me book requests (especially for manga, graphic novels, and LGBTQ+ books!), and I devote some time each day to researching books to buy for our collection. I’m also the campus technology specialist and the lead librarian for my school district, so I also spend some time each day helping adults as well!

What drew you to education and library science? One of my high school English teachers steered me toward teaching, and suggested that I might want to ultimately become a professor, so I could teach and write at the same time. I may still end up working as a professor someday, but I decided to start in the K-12 world instead, at my dad’s recommendation. I worked as a special education teacher for five-and-a-half years, and while I really enjoyed it, it was so much work! I spent more time doing paperwork than actually teaching. I had already started making plans to move onto librarianship at some point (I just had to make sure to teach for two years to be eligible to become a school librarian). So I got my second master’s degree and then moved on. I think being a librarian is a really great career path for autistic folks! Our minds are generally good at understanding systems, and we tend to be good at organizing things. Managing a library is a very different kind of work than teaching special education, but I do still get to spend a lot of time with neurodivergent students. Like me, they are drawn to the library, and love losing themselves in books. I spent a lot of time in the library as a kid, reading and researching, and so I’m happy to have my library be a bit of a sanctuary for the next generation of neurodivergent kids. How do your children’s books contribute to the ongoing conversation about autistic people in society? So I’ve written about a half dozen children’s book manuscripts, and three of them have received interest from agents and publishing house editors. In addition, I was one of 23 mentees in the PBChat Mentorship Program in 2021, and during our Showcase event in October, seven agents and 12 editors expressed interest in reading my manuscripts. At the moment, I’m still in the query trenches, waiting to hear back from the agents that I queried. But I hope to officially sign with someone very soon! The books that I write all aim to show the complexity of autistic kids. A lot of children’s books about autism are really about a sibling or a friend learning how to tolerate their autistic loved one. Autistic kids are portrayed as strange and odd, doing weird things for no reason, and generally come across as an annoyance or a burden to everyone who knows them. This is not the image of autism that I want autistic kids to see when they read a book! There is so much more to autistic kids than a loose collection of “problematic” behaviors. These kids have lives full of joy and love. They definitely do face a lot of challenges, but Continued on page 30 www.spectrumlife.org

A Day in the Life of Adriana White, continued from page 29 sometimes these challenges come from the fact that other people don’t understand them. My goal, as a writer and as a public speaker, is to help demystify autism and neurodivergence. I want neurotypical people to understand that we do things for a reason, not just randomly, and there’s so much more to us than what they see on the surface. My hope is that my books will show people a side of autism that they may not have seen before, and inspire them to think differently about neurodivergence. How does your vast education combine to help you further your personal and professional goals? My mom always told me, “You can’t stay in school forever!” but I definitely tried! After getting a bachelor’s degree in Art History, a master’s in education, and a master’s in library science, I ultimately decided to take a break from school and not pursue a Ph.D. right away. I might go back for one someday, but for now, I’m good! What my extensive schooling has taught me is how complex the world really is. For all I learned about art and art history, I still discover new artists and art styles that I’ve never seen before. Everything I learned about education felt like just skimming the surface of a much larger pool of knowledge. And there are so many different types of librarianship, I feel like my degree could only briefly touch on all that the field has to offer. With all that in mind, I’m always trying to learn more about the world, and when I do create something new, I take steps to ensure that I am doing it in the best way possible. For example, when I was writing my recent TEDx Talk on autism and neurodiversity, I hired sensitivity readers and sought out beta readers from all across the neurodiversity spectrum. Because I was making something that was going to be seen by a lot of people, I wanted to make sure that I was doing it right. Thankfully, everyone who read my speech loved it! What hobbies or interests do you have outside of your work? I’ve been an avid video game player for as long as I can remember. My dad bought a Nintendo Entertainment System back in the ‘80s and a Sega Genesis in the ‘90s, so I grew up playing a lot of different video games. I also remember memorizing the MS-DOS commands needed to install and launch computer games from floppy disks and CD-ROMs on our old family computer. I actually got my husband Kyle into gaming, and now we have a little bit of everything—a PS5, an Xbox Series X, and we each have our own Nintendo Switch, too! I also really like to travel and sightsee, which I haven’t had the opportunity to do a lot of over the past few years. Reading and relaxing on the beach is one of my favorite things to do. I think I might retire to a beach town someday, if I can! How does being autistic help or hinder your work or hobbies? Oh, gosh, what a question! I feel like being autistic helps my work in some big ways—since my brain works in a different

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way than most people’s, I can be really good at problemsolving and troubleshooting. I’m a really good researcher and I’m able to take complex issues and boil them down to the essentials, which makes me great at training people. But at the same time, I’m not very good at socializing and sometimes I get overwhelmed and need to step away from things, so that can sometimes hinder my work. Being autistic also helps with my hobbies. For example, I’m great at researching places to visit when my husband and I travel to a new place. But on the other hand, sometimes I don’t like trying new foods. When it comes to video games, I can get really lost in the world of the game, which is an awesome feeling, but then it can be hard to stop playing—especially if I’m interrupted suddenly! Having my flow state—both at home and at work—interrupted can be jarring and leaves me incredibly frustrated. But on the other hand, I’m able to use this personal experience to explain this concept to teachers and parents of autistic kids, so they can understand that their kids aren’t just being unnecessarily difficult. What kinds of changes or accommodations do you make in your life to allow you to be successful? The biggest accommodations that I give myself are taking scheduled breaks, wearing high-fidelity earplugs and prescription sunglasses, and writing things down as much as possible! With my tendency to hyperfocus, if I don’t take breaks, I will work (or play) until I’m exhausted and miserable. High-fidelity earplugs allow me to hear conversations while also minimizing background noise, which can really overwhelm me. I wear prescription sunglasses a lot—sometimes even indoors at work, depending on how sensitive to light I’m feeling that day. I also try to write things down as much as I can, because my short-term memory can be very fickle, and I will forget all kinds of things—regardless of how important they are! You gave a TEDx talk in 2021 on “Autism and Neurodiversity: Different Does Not Mean Broken.” What was this experience like? What kind of response did you get to your talk? (It was fabulous, by the way.) My TEDx talk was an amazing experience. Prepping for it was a bit stressful, because I tend to talk a lot, so trimming my speech down to less than ten minutes took a bit of effort! And then I was worried that my memory would fail me and I would forget what I wanted to say once I was onstage. I was also worried about talking about neurodiversity, because it encompasses more than just autism, and I didn’t want to say or suggest anything that wasn’t true. But in the end, it all came together beautifully. I had a wonderful team of sensitivity readers and beta readers, all across the neurodiversity spectrum, who assured me that my speech resonated with their experiences, as well. After giving the talk, I had multiple people approach me, and hearing their thoughts and stories was hands-down my favorite part of this experience. There was an incredibly nervous autistic college student who wanted a picture with me, and he was bursting with excitement as he told me how good my talk was. There was a young woman who strongly

A Day in the Life of Adriana White, continued from page 30 suspected that she was autistic, and wanted to know who she should see to find out for sure. A woman who asked if I could speak to students at a school. A mom who realized it was unfair of her to expect her neurodivergent daughter to act like everyone else. A woman who wanted to learn how to have more patience for her husband with ADHD. Parents of autistic kids, and parents who suspected that their kids may be neurodivergent, who were less afraid for their kids’ future after hearing my talk. And people who just felt like the weird kid, who felt like they’d never get a good job because they suck at interviews, but my talk gave them a bit of hope. It was an amazing experience. To watch Adriana’s TEDx talk at YouTube, visit https://bit.ly/adrianawhite How has being a member of the Lost Generation of Autism and then receiving a late diagnosis affected you? It’s honestly a bit of a mixed bag. I know that people didn’t know a lot about autism in the ‘80s and ‘90s, and if I had been diagnosed as a kid, I don’t know how it would’ve affected my life. Would I have been recommended for institutionalization like Temple Grandin or Daryl Hannah? Would I have been segregated in self-contained special education spaces in school, instead of being placed in gifted programs? Would I have been able to go to college? What kinds of questionable therapies and bad science would I have been exposed to? How would my family have reacted (including my extended family)? On the other hand, I know that I was not an easy child for my parents to deal with. My meltdowns were so severe that my parents would instantly panic if I started to cry. Being an emotional kid, you don’t want to constantly hear people telling you immediately to stop crying. My siblings didn’t understand me, and honestly, probably resented my behavior. I didn’t have a lot of friends. People teased me and took advantage of my naïveté. I constantly felt like an outsider and didn’t know why. I struggled with college and had to leave, but I was eventually able to go back and finish my degree (and get two more!). Getting my autism diagnosis was like shining a light on everything. Having that context, that new lens to look at my life through, made such a huge difference, and I’m so thankful for it. My life is definitely much better now that I understand myself and how my brain works. Have you experienced discrimination or bullying because of your autism or autistic traits? In school, in the workplace, or elsewhere? I did experience some bullying and teasing in my childhood, but over time, I was usually able to pair up with an extroverted friend who helped protect me from that kind of stuff. However, I still get incredibly anxious and upset when people try to play tricks on me or make me believe things that aren’t true.

I hate April Fool’s Day with a fiery passion. It takes me back to all the times that people took advantage of my naïveté and then made fun of me when I trusted and believed in them. In the workplace, I haven’t had issues with bullying or discrimination, thankfully. (If anyone has passed on me or my work because of autism, I at least have never heard about it!) I also think that I learned early on that people will be more accepting of my weirdness if I’m useful. So I really try to capitalize on my strengths and do things that are easy for me but more difficult for others—like reading a lot of research and pulling out the key points, or solving issues with computers and other forms of technology. There is a downside to this though, in that I get incredibly anxious if I don’t feel like I’m being useful, and I worry that no one will want me around anymore. But if I’m not careful, pushing myself to be at 100% all the time can lead to burnout. So I’m trying to find that balance, where sometimes I’m allowed to just be, without feeling the need to overachieve or excel at everything, all at once. What advice would you give to a young or teenage autistic person to help them live their best life, or what advice would you give an autistic adult to help them feel supported in their continuing journey? Oh, gosh, what a great question. One thing I often tell my autistic students is that things will get better in time. Middle school was a really tough time for me, so I can definitely relate to what they’re going through! It’s easy to get caught up in all these expectations—that you should have a bunch of friends, be in a relationship, and dress like a fashion model—and it’s important to remind kids that they don’t have to meet everyone else’s expectations. They can be themselves, and find other people like them, and find their own definition of happiness. I feel like a lot of stress and anxiety in my early years came from not fitting in and trying so hard to be someone I wasn’t so I could fit in. But since it wasn’t authentic, it never worked. It sounds like such a cliché—just be yourself and wait!—but I find that it helps when I tell kids about my own awkward childhood and reassure them that they won’t feel this way forever. And honestly, the same thing goes for autistic adults. Whenever I get overwhelmed or really upset, I try to remind myself that I won’t feel this way forever, and when it passes, I can try and figure out what to do next. Reminding myself to take a break, take things slow, leave some things for tomorrow, and don’t worry so much about letting other people down—all of these things help me a lot. I often find that I worry so much about not doing something right away, but people are generally very understanding and no one has ever told me that I let them down by turning something in a day late. I think we’re often our own harshest critics, because we’ve really ingrained so many of the negative things that have been said to us (or about us) over the years, and it can be Continued on page 32 www.spectrumlife.org

A Day in the Life of Adriana White, continued from page 31 hard for us to realize that our co-workers and our loved ones don’t think all those negative things about us. Making friends with other autistic and neurodivergent folks can make you feel so understood and seen. And it helps minimize that feeling of having to meet society’s unrealistic expectations. And those like-minded people can help remind you of when you’re being too hard on yourself. What advice would you give parents of autistic kids about the best ways to support their kids in becoming their best selves? What advice from the so-called “experts” do you think parents should ignore?

Parents are often also told to get their kids enrolled in ABA therapy. There are so many horror stories from autistic teens and adults who have been through ABA; I really encourage parents to read through these stories before committing to these kinds of therapies. Parents of autistic kids can feel very alone in their experiences, and they often end up finding community in each other, and they learn from one another (both good and bad ideas). I firmly believe that parents could learn so much more about the way their kids’ minds work, if they also included autistic adults in their communities. What was one piece of advice you received that helped you be comfortable with or embrace who you are?

I really encourage parents of autistic kids to seek out the stories and perspectives of autistic adults. Parents are often handed a diagnosis, without much background or explanation, and it can be devastating and scary.

I’m not quite sure where I first heard it, but the advice that helped me the most was the idea that being different doesn’t mean wrong or broken. (Basically the main premise behind neurodiversity!)

Parents of autistic kids—especially nonspeaking autistic kids—can get so frustrated and overwhelmed that they’re likely to try anything. And honestly, things like gluten-free and casein-free diets are more trouble than they’re worth. They often don’t make a difference, and you’re unnecessarily limiting the diet of a kid who likely already has a selective palate!

After spending a lifetime of feeling like I was wrong or different or crazy or weird, being told that my brain just worked differently from most people’s—and that it was okay and perfectly natural—that was a lifesaver. Instead of wasting time trying to fix myself or make myself act more like other people, I was able to embrace who I was and really capitalize on my own strengths (and accommodate for myself, when necessary).

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A Day in the Life of Adriana White, continued from page 32 The biggest piece of advice I’d give both kids and adults is to find a community of like-minded people.

can help me out and give me some great advice. So I’d tell my younger self to hold on and don’t lose hope. Hope is everything.

I’ve also passed this advice onto my husband, who has ADHD, and is still unpacking years of feeling like he was just lazy or not smart enough. That mindset can make such a huge difference for someone who’s neurodivergent.

What are the best ways for people to connect with you?

How do you think being autistic affects one’s mental health in today’s world? This is such a huge topic to explore! There’s so much to say. I think that our mental health is affected by the way that autistic people are treated in today’s world. We internalize a lot of the negative things people say to (and about) us. We feel so much empathy for others, and we get so upset about all the injustices in the world. Those feelings of empathy and justice are so important, and they can be great strengths, but if we aren’t properly supported, those same feelings can really wear us down over time. Autistic folks who don’t have a sense of community or close friendships are the most at risk for mental health issues like anxiety and depression. When we talk about suicide (which is the 2nd leading cause of death for young people from ages 10–34), the things that help reduce the likelihood of suicide the most are those social relationships and that sense of belonging to a community.

Anyone who would like to connect with me can visit my website at www.adrianalwhite.com or they can find me on Twitter @Adriana_Edu. I’m also on Facebook and Instagram (under @AdrianaWhiteWrites and @adrianalwhite, respectively), but I’m definitely on Twitter the most! Editor’s Note: This article debuts a new quarterly series at Spectrum Life Magazine and Autism Empowerment called A Day In Our Lives: Actually Autistic Adults in the Real World. In each issue, autistic writer Jenny Bristol will interview an autistic adult who has found success in their own way. Autistic creator Rebecca Burgess will provide an illustration based on that person’s photos and interests. The original 13-interview series was housed online at Geek Club Books. Autism Empowerment and Spectrum Life Magazine were given permission to republish the series: https://bit.ly/adayinourlives

Those things can be hard to come by when you’re autistic. It can be isolating to live your life amongst people who don’t understand you. And we don’t show our emotions the same way that neurotypical people do, so we can be falling apart on the inside and look totally fine on the outside. Or our meltdowns can be misinterpreted as temper tantrums, or people may think we’re being snobby when we won’t eat certain foods. Trying to fight back against all the ableism in the world (including our own internalized ableism) can be exhausting, and it can really take a toll on our mental health, too. Overall, being autistic is hard on our mental health, because the world at large still doesn’t really understand what it means to be autistic.

Jenny Bristol is a Gen-Xer who was diagnosed autistic at age 45 and has been having a series of lightbulb moments ever since, finally understanding her entire existence. She is an autistic advocate, freelance writer and author of several books, Editor-in-Chief of the geeky parenting blog GeekMom.com, and parent to two incredible autistic adults. She works hard to promote the social model of autism rather than the medical model, encouraging people to understand that a child’s behavior is a form of communication and a reflection of their inner struggle, not something to be punished. Visit www.GeekMom.com

And as a result of this, our needs aren’t being met. With so many autistic adults dropping out of college, being unemployed, not being able to get married—it’s no wonder that so many of us are struggling with our mental health these days. If you could go back in time, what would you tell your younger, undiagnosed self? I would tell myself that it will all be okay. Not that everything will be perfect or that everything will work out. Life is still really tough sometimes. But it will be okay. I have lived through so much and survived. I can keep going. And if I ever run into a situation where I don’t know what to do next, I now know a lot of other amazing autistic people who

Rebecca Burgess is a comic artist and illustrator working in the UK, creating award winning published and small press work. Along with drawing comics for their day job, Rebecca also loves drawing webcomics in their free time. Being autistic, they are particularly passionate about bringing more autistic characters into comics and stories! Outside of drawing comics and cuddling their cat, Rebecca also loves playing RPGs with friends, going on deep dives into history and growing vegetables in their humble Bristol garden. Visit www.rebeccaburgess.co.uk

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Free Resources... for Parents and Caregivers of Children with Autism from Seattle Children’s Autism Center

The world of autism spectrum disorders is constantly changing and we at Seattle Children’s Autism Center are eager to share with parents and caregivers the latest therapies, research, news and tips for families.

1. The Autism Blog

www.theautismblog.seattlechildrens.org/ We provide information that may be helpful for raising a child with autism. Posts are written by physicians, nurses, psychologists, and family resource staff who are knowledgeable about the diagnosis and the latest in treatments and therapies are primary contributors to the blog. Topics range from selecting a summer camp to sibling support to new research findings to our perspective on the latest news and information about autism.

2. Autism 101

Available on-demand. Watch past lectures on our website. Autism 101 is a 90-minute presentation providing information and support for parents and families of children recently diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Topics include up-to-date, evidence-based information about ASD, behaviors associated with autism, autism prevalence, treatments available and resources for families. www.seattlechildrens.org/health-safety/keeping-kids-healthy/development/ autism-101/

3. Autism 200 Series

Available online. Conversations About Autism. Conversations About Autism is a series of 60-minute live-streamed sessions created for providers and caregivers of children with autism who wish to better understand the autism spectrum disorder. In these sessions, experts and advocates from our region share their knowledge and perspectives on autism as well as helpful tips for supporting a child, adolescent or young adult with autism. Learn more: www.seattlechildrens.org/conversationsaboutautism/

Learn more and/or register at www.seattlechildrens.org/autism.

EDUCATION

Navigating Educational Services with Staffing Shortages What is a School District’s Responsibility? By Diane Wiscarson and Taylar Lewis

Like all other fields, schools are currently experiencing severe staffing shortages due to the pandemic. These shortages include general education teachers, substitute teachers, special education teachers, paraeducators, speech-language pathologists (SLP), occupational therapists (OT), and many other specialists and consultants. While these shortages are impacting all students, they are affecting students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) in unique ways.

Districts cannot say that a student cannot have a service, such as speech, just because there is not a provider. Even if a student has to wait for a provider to be available, this does not mean the student permanently loses the time that is allotted to them through their IEP. Staff shortages may complicate service delivery, but the district cannot just remove services because there is not enough staff. Any changes to a student’s IEP services must be made by the IEP team and based on student need, not staff availability.

Staffing shortages have impacted special education students’ ability to access their education, gain educational benefit, and make progress on their IEP goals. For example, some students have “adult support” or “adult assistance” written into their IEP, and require a paraeducator or instructional assistant to access their education. Without adult assistance, these students may be unable to participate in class, play at recess, or even engage in activities of daily living.

What services does the school district need to provide?

To address the staffing concerns, some school districts have resorted to shortening students’ days or “sharing” adult assistance while at school. However, even recognizing the difficulty in finding available staff, districts still need to provide all students with a free appropriate public education (FAPE). Whether school is conducted in-person, virtually, or some combination of the two, students impacted by a disability need to have a way to access their education. If a school district is not able to provide students with a FAPE due to staffing shortages, the district is required to make up the services at a later date. Students are entitled to the services in their IEP, regardless of staffing. Parents should document what services are or are not being provided. If services in a student’s IEP are not being provided, the district must make those services up. What is the school district’s responsibility? Regardless of what model a school district is using – in-person, virtual, etc. – districts still have to provide students with the necessary services, accommodations, and instruction needed to access their education. It does not matter if districts make good efforts to hire staff but cannot find qualified people. Districts are still responsible for implementing students’ IEPs, even if they are short-staffed. Districts are required to provide whatever each student needs to access their education as it is written on the IEP. This was true before the pandemic and is still true today.

Districts are required to provide all of the services listed in a student’s IEP. Therefore, it is important to consider what supports the IEP actually contains. For example, if “adult support” is written into the IEP, in any form – adult support, adult assistance, paraeducator, or instructional/educational assistant – the specific adult support to be provided should be defined. The tasks that the adult will support should be specifically listed, such as toileting, prompting, scribing, or transitioning between activities. Then, if supports or services are not provided, parents have an IEP that is not being implemented, and can be enforced or remedied in other ways. What can parents do to monitor what services are provided? Once a service is defined, parents should try to document what is or is not being provided. It can be helpful to keep a running log documenting the days that a student does not have an aide, or is not receiving speech services, for example. If possible, it can also be helpful for parents to document any Specially Designed Instruction (SDI) that was missed. To determine whether their student is receiving appropriate services, parents can ask their student’s case manager when the SDI is being completed, who is providing the SDI, and what the SDI looks like. Parents can also ask whether their child’s teacher is licensed and credentialed or, if relevant, who is providing their child with adult support. Parents should ask questions and document any missed service time in writing (such as email). Additionally, most related service providers, like SLPs, OTs, physical therapists, and others are required to maintain service logs. In the service log, each provider documents all service provided to each student. Parents are entitled to request these, and should just for knowledge, even if there is not a concern that service was not provided. Continued on next page

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Navigating Educational Services with Staffing Shortages continued from page 36 What about recovery services – is that the same thing? Compensatory education is different than recovery services! Recovery services were developed to help students struggling to make progress due to COVID-19 and distance learning. Sometimes, parents might know that a service will be missed in advance. For example, a parent might know that their child’s occupational therapist will be out for a few months on parental leave. If so, they should ask the district if a substitute will be available, or if not, how the district will make up that time for the student. In general, parents should try to keep written records as much as they can documenting what is, and is not, being provided to their child. This record will help determine what the district might have to make up later. What happens if the school district doesn’t provide a student with the services in the IEP? If a student does not receive all of their IEP services, then they are likely eligible for compensatory services from the district. Compensatory education is service to make up for what should have been provided, but was not. For example, for a student who had speech services in their IEP for 30 minutes per week, but no speech therapist was available for three months, parents can calculate how much time was missed. If SLP service was missed for 12 weeks, at 30 minutes per week, then the district would need to provide compensatory SLP services for those missed six hours. What is compensatory education? Compensatory education helps put a student back in the place that they would have been had the district provided that student’s services. This can look like providing students with tutoring for missed academic or social skills instruction. The compensatory tutoring service would be used to make up for missed SDI.

Recovery services do not necessarily indicate that a student “missed” specific services. Instead, they are designed to help a student catch up if they did not progress on IEP goals due to school closures, distance learning, or other pandemicrelated issues. Unlike compensatory education, recovery services are an IEP team decision and should be discussed at a student’s annual IEP meeting (or whenever a parent requests) for the next two years. Whether a student is eligible for recovery services depends on what they were able to access during the pandemic and progress made on their IEP goals and objectives. This should be based on data! Conclusion: Students are entitled to their IEP services regardless of staff or educational environment (in-person, remote, or hybrid learning). However, in navigating school shortages, parents should be proactive, document what is occurring, and ask questions about their student’s progress. If a student was denied services written in their IEP due to staffing shortages, that student is likely owed compensatory education. If a student struggled to access their education during distance learning and did not make progress on their IEP goals and objectives, that student is likely eligible for recovery services. If a student was both denied services and struggled to make progress on their IEP goals, then they may be eligible for both! Navigating compensatory education and recovery services can be challenging, so parents should try to keep good records and ask an attorney if they have additional questions.

Photo courtesy of Wendy Wilson

Compensatory education can also include makeup services for speech, occupational therapy, and other related services. For example, suppose during the pandemic, the student was denied SDI time or time with a provider, and those services are written on the student’s IEP. Then the district should provide compensatory education services. Compensatory education should also take place outside of the school day. That might include after school, on weekends, or during the summer, so that the student doesn’t miss any additional educational time. It is important for parents to know that compensatory education is not always a “one-to-one” ratio for lost time. If a student missed 50 hours of service, they may not need 50 hours of compensatory education to catch up – compensatory education is based on what the student needs to put them back where they should have been. Compensatory education is also not an IEP team decision. Any discussion about compensatory education should be focused on what the student needs to catch back up, and generally occurs with administrators, rather than IEP meetings. Parents may find it helpful to hire an attorney to help negotiate the conversation around compensatory education.

Diane Wiscarson is the founding attorney of Wiscarson Law, the only firm in Oregon with a primary practice area of special education law for families, and has represented thousands of families of special education students in Oregon and Washington. Taylar Lewis is also an attorney with Wiscarson Law, having served as a law clerk at the firm while attending the University of Oregon School of Law. Find more information at wiscarsonlaw.com

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health & wellness DEVELOPING A SENSE OF WELL-BEING AND WHOLENESS

Stimming ...............................................................................................39 Benefits of Exercise on Anxiety & Depression.............................42

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HEALTH + WELLNESS

Stimming: From Evolution to Revolution By Dr. Anson Service aka the Neurodivergent Doctor

1980 elementary school teacher: “ANSON... STOP Making those noises, PLEASE!” 1986 middle school teacher: “Anson... STOP drumming your pencil! It is distracting the other students.” 1990 high school teacher: “Anson... please, for the love of all that is good... stop bouncing your leg. You’re shaking the classroom. 2010 graduate school professor: “Anson, do you need some time to check in with yourself? I notice you’re moving quite a bit.”

4. Olfactory and taste: Examples include smell and taste such as sniffing or smelling things, putting things in the mouth or ingesting them, or licking things. 5. Vestibular: This involves movement or balance-based stimming, including rocking, spinning, pacing, jumping, and hand or arm flapping. Hand flapping can be an example of visual stimming if it is done for the purposes of watching the hand flap, but otherwise, it is usually considered a form of vestibular stimming. The History of Stimming

This is what I heard from teachers growing up. I find it interesting, however, that when I was young, some saw my stimming as problematic. I was shamed into controlling or stopping them by those who didn’t understand.

Many millennia ago our ancestors must have survived and thrived using some of the same traits that autistic people have today. A host of evolutionary biologists and researchers 1 2 3 have weighed in on the value and origin of autistic traits, such as repetitive behaviors like stimming, intense interests in mechanical actions, and greater detail and pattern recognition abilities.

Now that I am older, educated, and established in my profession, people still notice my movements, but they do not say anything about them, or I get the occasional question from someone about them. It makes me wonder why some people treat stimming differently based on age and status.

They posit that our ancestors with these traits did better in hunter-gatherer situations. Hunters who were better able to see and understand patterns of game movement, which often involved repetitive movement, may have been better hunters than those without those traits.

If you are unfamiliar with the term “stimming,” it is usually described as an expressive, repetitive movement, vocalization, or even a thought, that is self-stimulating.

They may have had an upper hand on inventing, crafting, and improving tools and weaponry and may have been better at providing sustenance and safety. Additionally, a hunter who could spend long portions of time in solitude watching and tracking animals likely did better than their counterparts as well.

2022 teenage client: “Dr. Service, do you always rock back and forth like that?”

For many people who “stim,” it can induce a sense of calm and can include: fingernail picking, toe walking, hair twirling, groin tugging, knuckle cracking, rearranging things, finger drumming, muscle tensing, pencil tapping, leg bouncing, food shaking, whistling, thinking, rocking, swaying, flapping, flicking, snapping, bouncing, jumping, pacing, humming, repeating, rubbing, blinking, staring, licking, stroking, sniffing, etc. There are six types of stimming that have been correlated with autism. 1. Tactile: Touch-based, such as rubbing, tapping, or squeezing. 2. Auditory: Using sound and hearing which can include repetitive speech like song clips, phrases, or repeating something you hear. Also included are vocal sounds like humming or shrieking, or tapping on things to hear the sound, which can IN THIS SECTION include tapping on the head or ears. 3. Visual: Sight can be used to stim, like trance style staring at something, blinking, putting things in front of the eyes, lining up objects, or peering out of the corner of the eyes. This is developmentally appropriate at a young age; however, many autistic individuals report doing this in adulthood as well.

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There may be merit to the idea that autistic traits may have added to the safety of people in the past because they might have been able to pick up on subtle differences in their environment that others missed, such as being able to see a deadly snake in the trees that blended into the background well. To a person who is keen on patterns and changes noticing smaller details, that snake may have stood out to them, whereas someone else could have been bitten. Of course, nobody can know with certainty that these are accurate ideas about our autistic ancestors, but they make sense. Interestingly, the same scientists who research these ideas also suppose that these traits are dysfunctional and harmful today. I firmly believe that these traits can still provide benefits in our modern world for some autistic individuals while recognizing others suffer a great deal.

Continued on page 40

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Stimming: From Evolution to Revolution, continued from page 39 influencers have powerful insights on this subject and are helping the movement forward (no pun intended). There is a gene called the AUTS2 gene, which is thought by Nir Oksenberg and colleagues 5 to be involved in the rapid evolution of human cognition, but it is also believed to be responsible for some autistic traits and could be the result of human cognition evolving too fast for the development of society. There are groups who have the mistaken idea that autism should be pathologized and have made it their mission to eradicate autism by promoting harmful stigma, cures, and abusive treatments. What To Do About It The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly The Good Most forms of stimming help our brain and body feel better in some way. Self-stimulatory behavior can often have a calming effect by arousing parts of the nervous system and increasing the brain’s production of “feel good” effects. It is largely a non-conscious behavior, meaning people usually aren’t penciling it into their calendar. Ezequiel Morsella and his San Francisco State University colleagues 4 suggest nearly all of our brain’s work is conducted at the non-conscious level, completely without our knowledge. Stimming is often a non-conscious behavior to help with body and mind regulation. Additionally, some autistic folks don’t get quite enough stimulation in their body or mind, possibly due to being less sensitive to stimuli, which may be an issue with the body’s eighth sense, interoception, and stimming can help create some of that stimulation. The Bad Unfortunately, the non-conscious mind is not wise, meaning it can prompt you to do things to get what the mind and body wants, even if those things are destructive or disruptive. If the conscious mind does not usually pick up on underlying uncomfortable thoughts, feelings, triggers, or situations, and the non-conscious does, then stimming may result. Some stimming behaviors can be harmful, such as head banging, punching or biting the self or others, excessive rubbing or scratching, picking at scabs or sores, or even swallowing things that shouldn’t be swallowed. Most forms of stimming are fine and people should not be forced to stop, generally speaking, but people should NEVER be shamed for stimming whether it helps or hurts. The Ugly Historically, a common consensus among many professionals has been that stimming is largely dysfunctional and therefore should be stopped, or at least discouraged. I believe this to be wrong and I am heartened to see legions of people now challenging those archaic ideas. Some social media

1. Educating neurotypical people and the “stim-intolerant” is of paramount importance. To help others become “stim-tolerant,” speak up and be a voice that promotes the idea that many forms of stimming must be respected, honored, and celebrated. 2. I encourage people to stim as needed when it helps them. As an exercise of self-discovery, try to identify what is going on around you when you stim. What is the situation? Who is with you? The more you know about yourself and your processes, the more you can accept and appreciate this trait. 3. If a person does not like it when others stim, that person should leave. If stimming means someone is having some difficulty or is excited about something and stimming provides some sort of relief, then let them stim. Others should be quick to see if there is anything that person needs to help them if they are feeling dysregulated. 4. If your stimming is problematic for you or hurts others, ask yourself why you are stimming. Is it because you are hurting in some way, understimulated, or overstimulated? If you don’t know, ask someone who is close to you if they have noticed something going on with you or your environment. 5. If your stimming is harming you or others, immediately reduce, eliminate, or mitigate triggers in your life. Maybe you can handle one trigger. When there are two triggers, things may get rough. When there are three or more triggers, you may become overwhelmed and in danger of going into meltdown or shutdown mode. 6. If you would like to reduce harmful stimming, try to stick to routines. Many autistic people find comfort in routine. 7. If a stim is causing problems for you, try an alternative stimming behavior. For example, consider therapy putty or a fidget device. Install a speed bag which may be a good replacement for certain stimming behaviors. Sometimes chewing gum or chewable jewelry can help. I look forward to the day when we can freely stim without being considered a threat or erratic. Stims can come and go and may sometimes be gone forever. The most important part of this is honoring your autism, which means honoring your stimming behaviors by learning as much as you can about them and yourself so that you can live a better life in your neurodiverse universe. Continued on next page

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Stimming: From Evolution to Revolution, continued from page 40 References: 1. Crespi, B. (2013). Developmental heterochrony and the evolution of autistic perception, cognition and behavior. BMC Medicine 11 (119): 1-11. http://www.biomedcentral.com/1741-7015/11/119 2. Ploeger, A., and Galis, F. (2011). Evolutionary approaches to autism - an overview and integration. Mcgill J Med 13 (2): 38-43. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3277413 3. Dey, S., Ding, T., Chang, J. Nguyen, P. (2015). Evolution and Autism. Evolution Shorts. https://scholarblogs.emory.edu/evolutionshorts/2015/12/08/ evolution-of-autism 4. Morsella E., Godwin CA, Jantz TK, Krieger SC, Gazzaley A. Passive frame theory: A new synthesis. Behav Brain Sci. (2016) Jan;39:e199. doi: 10.1017/S0140525X15002812. PMID: 28355823 5. Oksenberg N, Stevison L, Wall JD, Ahituv N. Function and regulation of AUTS2, a gene implicated in autism and human evolution. PLoS Genet. 2013;9(1):e1003221. doi: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1003221. Epub 2013 Jan 17. PMID: 23349641; PMCID: PMC3547868 Dr. Anson Service is a licensed mental health counselor, and part of a team that assesses individuals for autism, ADHD, and more at Adventure Psychological Services. Dr. Service has written for various magazines and authored several books and is happy to further educate others on autism and other areas of neurodiversity. He and his wife have raised three young men and are now raising their puppy named Luna. www.neurodivergentdoctor.com.

Dr. Gloria Arroyo, DC, B.S.,B.A.,MSA-HSA www.tristarchiro.com • (360) 258-1506 “Let Us Navigate Your Health with our Award Winning Care!”

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HEALTH + WELLNESS

Benefits of Exercise on Anxiety and Depression Prioritizing our Mental and Physical Health By Emily Hatch, CSCS

We can all admit that these past few years have been challenging, to say the least. With a pandemic on our hands, changes in schedules, attempting to balance a new way of life and on top of it, trying to stay mentally and physically fit, humans of all ages and ability levels have had to struggle to manage day-to-day tasks. On top of it, we have especially seen our youth suffer from various forms of anxiety and depression due to the loss of control that has become our lives. As we navigate this mental health crisis, there are a few important things that we can do to tackle, or at least ease, the anxiousness and sadness we experience. And one of those things is exercise. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, children and adolescents ages 6 through 17 years should do 60 minutes (1 hour) or more of moderate-tovigorous intensity physical activity each day. And although at first, this may appear intimidating, physical activity can be a variety forms of movement, including nature walks, fun games of ‘tag,’ gardening, or riding bikes. Below are a few benefits of exercise that we encourage all of our Specialty Athletic Training clients, along with their families, to become familiar with! We invite Spectrum Life Magazine readers to become familiar with these benefits also. Feel free to contact us if you have any questions. 1. Higher Self-Esteem

activities” (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2017). With endless options, activities that include moving your body also mean that there are plenty of opportunities for individuals to meet others with like interests. For example, those who enjoy gardening may join a gardening club and meet new friends. Those who enjoy going for runs have the opportunity to join a running club and build new relationships. And while we think we are focusing on our physical fitness during these activities, we are actually building lasting relationships where we can also find a place for support. Exercise is a means to gain new friends and avoid the feeling of loneliness! 3. Sleep Improvements We all know that feeling of lack of sleep. The days are long, our brains are foggy, and unfortunately, we can be grumpy. However, exercise is a great way to improve your sleep as physical activity increases the time spent in deep sleep, the most physically restorative sleep phase. Even more, “deep sleep helps to boost immune function,” which we all know is invaluable right now as we are all trying to stay healthy (Breus, 2017). 4. Decreased Anxiety and Depression

Moving our body not only benefits our physical structure, but it is an invaluable part of building self-esteem. In our experience with youth and adult clients, hitting new goals, lifting heavier weights, walking longer distances, or simply making it through a workout is a great confidence builder. We have heard parents express that their child is enjoying PE at school more, has more confidence to interact with their peers and isn’t shying away from social engagements. “Meeting exercise goals or challenges” lets us know that we are able to achieve more than we knew we were capable of! (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2017) 2. Builds Social Connections Physical activity can include “gardening, washing your car, walking around the block or engaging in less intense

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According to many of the parents and caregivers we come across, our workouts and the benefits we see have been an amazing way for our clients to self-regulate and ease stress and tension. What’s amazing is that studies show that exercise can treat mild to moderate depression as effectively as antidepressant medication, which tells us that moving our bodies is an activity we need to prioritize (Robinson et al., 2021). With the release of endorphins, “the feel-good hormone,” exercise helps “enhance your sense of well-being” and allows us to focus more on our bodies and the physical sensations rather than the stressful thoughts happening in our mind (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2017). Even more, moving your body amongst nature “has been linked to a host of benefits, including improved attention, Continued on next page

Benefits of Excercise on Anxiety and Depression, continued from page 42 lower stress, [and] better mood” (Wier, 2020). So take your physical movement a step further and find a nature walk and lots of green space to settle the mind! 5. Physical and Cognitive Benefits According to the CDC, exercise is imperative for adults and children. For both populations, exercise improves sleep, muscle tone, a healthy heart and brain, along with many more benefits. For children, exercise is shown to help improve memory and attention while older adults benefit from a lower risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s. Bone health and blood sugar levels are also improved through consistent exercise (CDC, 2021). As we can all notice the obvious benefits of exercise, one of the most difficult parts is getting started. And that’s why we encourage all of our clients to find activities they enjoy, provide inclusive environments and implement workouts that allow each individual to feel successful. What I have found throughout the pandemic is that exercise has been the one ritual I perform to stay sane. As a result, I am able to show up for others, release tension and stress, and most importantly, have found ways to move my body with friends. Here at Specialty Athletic Training, our goal is to do exactly that. We want our clients to not only feel physically fit, but we want them to know that there is always a space for them to build confidence, create new relationships, overcome a challenge and build lasting friendships. So, the next time you have the opportunity, put those workout shoes on, find a friend, choose an activity and remember that you are making huge strides in improving your mental and physical fitness! References 1. CDC. (2021, November 1). Benefits of Physical Activity. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://bit.ly/cdcphysical 2. Mayo Clinic. (2017, September 27). Depression and anxiety: Exercise eases symptoms. https://mayocl.in/3LKwXg0

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3. Breus, M. (2017, May 22). The Benefits of Exercise For Sleep. The Sleep Doctor. https://bit.ly/thesleepdoctor 4. Robinson, L., Segal, J., Smith, M. (2021 August). The mental health benefits of exercise. https://bit.ly/mhbenefits 5. Weir, K. (2020, April 1). Nurtured by nature. https://www.apa.org/monitor/2020/04/nurtured-nature Emily Hatch is the Head Trainer and Portland Facility Manager at Specialty Athletic Training, a personal training company in the Portland Metro area and Central Oregon that specializes in fitness programs for children and adults with special needs. She is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist and has over 10,000 hours of working with clients of various ages, diagnoses and ability levels. www.SpecialtyAthleticTraining.com

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therapy THERAPEUTIC OPTIONS AND RESOURCES

IN THIS SECTION Spectrum Life Resource Directory............................................................46 Upcoming Autism Empowerment Events.............................................47

PEDIATRIC THERAPY CENTER Supporting Children With Developmental Needs • Occupational Therapy • Physical Therapy • Speech Therapy • Groups & Camps

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SPECTRUM LIFE

resource directory

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Spectrum Life Magazine serves youth, adults, and families in the autism community. We seek to partner with nonprofit organizations, businesses, support groups, educators and professionals from a variety of fields who desire to support our community in a meaningful way. If you are an autism-friendly provider who desires to connect with new clients, we can help you make those connections through online directory listings. We also offer advertising and sponsorship opportunities for Spectrum Life Magazine and the Autism Empowerment Podcast. Please contact John Krejcha at spectrumlife@autismempowerment.org or call (360) 852-8369. Spectrum Life Magazine and Autism Empowerment do not endorse, promote or guarantee the services or outcome of any one provider or type of therapy.

The Spectrum Life Resource Directory is undergoing renovations this Spring! Thank you for your patience while we upgrade our design. Autism Empowerment serves youth, adults, and families in autism and neurodivergent communities through a variety of educational programs and resources including Spectrum Life Magazine, Zoom Autism Magazine, and our Autism Empowerment Podcast. We are currently in the process of redesigning our website at www.AutismEmpowerment.org to create an online hub with increased accessibility for you to enjoy our online media library of resources, articles, comics, podcasts, training, videos and more! While you’re waiting, please enjoy all past issues of Spectrum Life Magazine (2013 - present), all past issues of Zoom Autism Magazine (2014 - 2021), and hundreds of blog articles online for free at www.SpectrumLife.org.

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