The Reason

In the past year, I’ve come to know a truly lovely guy called Tyler. Tyler is a midwestern white (that’s probably redundant) kid in his 20s; he has long-lashed blue eyes and curly brown hair. He also has a toothy mischievous grin – a characteristic so notable that it stands on its own (not in a series of identifiers). Tyler digs music and movies, and has a particular affection for Disney productions (it's a little odd for his age, let him have it). He prefers VCRs over DVD players and has a wicked penchant for ranch dressing. He’s quite close to his immediate family and has a special relationship with Billie, his doll of a grandmother. If something is funny, he laughs. If he’s pissed, he scowls. When he’s being ignored, he craves attention. So it’s all pretty typical. Human. Sacred, but typical.

The thing is, Tyler is anything but typical. To me, he’s exceptional – but I’m biased. And since you don’t know him, what he can be for you (through me) -- is a provider of examples. An explainer of autism. To be clear, the autism that Tyler can shed some light on will be Tyler’s autism. He has the primary qualifiers to be diagnosed as autistic, but beyond that…Tyler is his own man. He’s not *exactly* like any other individual with autism…hence the saying, if you’ve met one person with autism – you’ve met one person with autism.

I’ve been gifted with the experience of working with many individuals who live their lives on the autism spectrum. Like Tyler, they are each unique – and like Tyler, they each provide some fantastic examples of what autism is, but also what it isn’t. What I hope to do here is share what I know and what I’m learning through Tyler and others in a relatable and bite-sized manner - autism hors d’oeuvres, if you will. I have 3 reasons for writing. 1) To help others understand and/or relate to autism in a way that will allow them to interact with this population with acceptance and compassion. 2) To provide company through content for individuals with autism + their friends and family. 3) I’m selfish. These people (Tyler and company) are amazing and I want you to know about them.  

Let’s be clear. I am not an expert or licensed clinician. I am a social worker who works with this population and has, in various capacities, for over ten years. I have autism-specific training and education and this is totally my jam.  Still – not an expert.

Interested? Awesome. Me too.