Lessons Learned in My Closet

In an autistic person, "stimming" refers to repetitive behaviors such as: • finger-flicking and/or hand-flapping • rocking the body back and forth while sitting or standing • looking at something sideways and/or watching an object spin • opening and closing doors or flicking switches • listening to the same song or noise over and over • repetition of saying/singing the same words/songs/scripts over and over again Stimming is not a meaningless behavior. Listening to autistic self-advocates, over and over, they've said that being able to stim helps them focus, helps them navigate their environment, and helps them feel better overall. If a person is stimming, it's to serve an internal need - a need for sensory stimulation, a need for emotional self-regulation, a need to express anything from frustration to joy, a need to just feel better. And by fulfilling that need, stimming helps autistic people to navigate our neurotypical world. Alex stims. A lot. He often repeats wo...

It is estimated that 1 in 59 American children are affected by autism. 1 in 59 is a powerful soundbite. It’s a startling statistic. That’s why it’s so important - so critical - to remember, when we quote the statistic or talk about autism - that each of those “ones” in 59 is a full, whole, wonderful, valuable person, filled with gifts and potential and talent. Our son, Alex, is a son, brother, grandson, nephew, cousin and friend. Alex catches and reflects light like a prism. Alex lives big and loves hard. Alex laughs a deep, hearty laugh with every part of his being. Alex finds his way into the hearts of and changes every single person he touches for the better. Alex loves without reservation and is more authentically himself than any other person I’ve ever encountered. Alex has a beautiful, rich, complex – and yes, different kind of mind. Alex is fully deserving of all of the respect, dignity, rights, assumptions of competence, potential, and worth afforded to any other human being. I...