🧩 Today, being World Autism Awareness Day, the focus is on neurodiversity, and I am celebrating by sharing some of my personal experience with my son, Colin. He is autistic.
🦘 It was a quiet beginning. He didn’t say his first word until he was almost three years old. It was frightening; we did a lot of intervention like speech and occupational therapy. We wondered if he would ever be verbal. When he finally was able to share his voice, his first word was “kangaroo”, and eighteen months later, he had taught himself to read. I don’t mean he memorized a few words; he had a fundamental understanding of language and could read and pronounce words at a 9th-grade level. Turns out, there was a lot going on in there.
⚡ Chasing him around. He was what’s known as a ‘bolter,’ that is, he would unexpectedly run off without warning. The neighbors and the police were always on alert, and we even put special child locks on our doors. But this also ignited a passion for travel, geography, and even vehicles and roads so much so that he could give you outstanding driving directions to any city in the US and competed in the NH state GeoBee. Turns out he knew where he wanted to go.
🤷 Social nuance. Navigating social cues and nuances like facial expressions, innuendo, and allusion during face-to-face interactions proved challenging making it harder to form friendships. However, he is also fearless, willing to try, and puts himself out there, seemingly without the crushing fear of rejection and judgment that holds many back. At one time, he developed a love for horses and racing – so he just started looking up and calling owners on their cell phones, introducing himself, and talking to them. Before I knew it, he was invited to the winners’ circle, onto farms, was a part of the USTA, and experimented with fractional ownership. Turns out he is willing to do what it takes to achieve his goals.
🔮 Into the future. Currently a student at UNH, he faces the same challenges as typical students, but in unique ways. Every day is still an adventure, and he continues to learn and strive for his goals.
He is surrounded by ‘typical’ students who often don’t understand him but refuses to be seen as less. He understands he has differences, works to overcome his deficits, and leans into and celebrates his unique superpowers. He constantly inspires me. He has made me better; stronger, more thoughtful, empathetic, and curious. He is my hero.
We have come a long way from the early days when we had to hide his diagnosis to avoid losing insurance coverage. I am amazed by the progress made and the dedication of so many amazing people working in education and technology. The job is not done; we need to continue to explore and unlock all this untapped potential.
🙌 There is hope in the moment, joy in the journey, and value in the work. Thank you to everyone working for change.
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# celebrating neurodiversity