Welcome to my new newsletter all about autism and what I have learnt during my journey since I was diagnosed in 2011.
One thing that I have learnt recently, and I know it has often been said by others, is that all autistics are different from one another. That is so true. Over the last month I have had the opportunity to work with two different groups of autistic children. One at a school and one at a library from a school. Both of these groups have been different from one another. Not just in their age but their abilities. The classes at the school were aged from 7-9 years-old and the group at the library were in their teens but had a lower learning age. Seeing these children made me realise that, yes, we are all different and it is a spectrum. Here are the differences I have seen. Not just with me at that age but between the groups.
When I was 7-9 year old at primary school I was really shy and quiet. I wouldn't talk to others. I found it hard to make friends. At the school I visited as an author, in the class I was in there was one little girl who was friends with another girl. She helped the girl put her hair up in a bun to appear like her book character she was dressed as. This was World Book Day. One girl from another class who had joined in actually read out her story she had written to me and told me what she likes writing about. At that age I wouldn't have done that. I was too shy to do that. I would ask my teacher to read it for me. I think there were these differences for two reasons. The class size was only of eight children whereas when I was at school, a mainstream one, it was about double that. Also this was a special needs school so the children were supported for their needs.
Then there was the other group of older children. They were also from a special needs school but their learning ability was lower than their ages. They were a group of six children with a teacher of their own. They could read and write but not like any other teen could. They were friendly towards me. Again as they were a smaller class and had the support they each needed, they were less shy than I was at that age. One boy asked me a question, another shook my hand and spoke to me. Even at that age I was too shy to speak to other people I didn't know.
I enjoyed working with both groups, and look forward to seeing the second class again for their next workshop which is booked for end of this month.
Then there is a non-verbal autistic eleven year old called Josh Harris. He is the son of Dan Harris, the founder of the charity Neurodiversity in Business. Although Josh doesn't speak he can communicate via his AAC talker device, gestures and his cooking skills. Josh can make cakes, bake pies and breakfasts for his dad. At that age I couldn't make cakes or pies. The only thing I recall making by that age was peppermint cream sweets which I did at primary school.
As I have said, it is certainly a spectrum. One autistic child can do one thing, another can't, and yet another child might be able to do both.
