I have a bit of a hang up when people say that Collin or any other autistics are “bossy” or “moody”. I feel it too sometimes but I have to keep coming back to the conditions that make him act that way. For example, last Friday at the Charlottesville vigil in Chinatown there were over 300 people there. It was pretty intense, a lot of loud noises, sensory issues. There were also a lot of people who knew him from my Facebook (my fault…) trying to say hello to him. He waved his finger and said “NO! NO!” to most people :/ This is actually an advance, he is learning to verbalize his needs and setting boundaries. I’m glad there were some familiar faces who have spent time building with him that allowed him to enjoy the space more. This probably applies to all children (and most adults) but for autistics this intentionality is even more important. It is not easy engaging wth Collin sometimes but hopefully as we are more open and public, it will help build more understanding and support for him and other autistics or others who have sensory needs. Disabled folks have been leading the way on all this and I’m grateful for all the lessons Collin teaches us even at such a young age. <3

here are Images of Collin this weekend. The first image is him at the vigil playing around with the LED candles and putting them in his mouth; the second image is Collin at frog park at circle time the “sanctuary begins at home” playdate; the third image is Collin playing with his stick at the frog park playground; the fourth image is Collin (finally) spotting a frog at frog park (whew) and last image is collin resisting nap time and falling asleep on his chair. #precious #awesomeautistics

(Originally posted on facebook August 29, 2017)