A Call For Education

 By Josh Berkau

Being interested in helping kids with every level of autism instead of only those who speak is truly the need.  Action is needed to educate those of us who do not benefit from ABA or rituals of the special education task masters who deny us access to an appropriate education worthy of our intelligence.

Reality changed for me when I started school at ACCESS Academy this past September.  I went from being separated from true academic teaching to being overwhelmed  by the people treating me as a real high school student in every sense. Please expect more from students who don't have speech or reliable bodies. Opportunities like this are truly yearned for.

Learn about our school at www.optimalrhythms.org or www.facebook.com/optimalrhythms/accessacademy

We need funding to help more kids get this opportunity. Please consider donating to Optimal Rhythms. (501c3)

Josh Berkau is an 18 year old high school student, self-advocate, and blogger from Newburgh, Indiana. Josh was the 2014 recipient of the Self-Advocacy Award by the Autism Society of Indiana.  You can visit his blog Josh and His Praying Heart on Autism.

Lies

By Shana Stipakov 

Stairs curve steep lies

True love cries

Sad dust rotated and wired

Be very tired

Echo to burn turn to rust

Please SOS us

Shana is 19, from Orono, Minnesota.  She has been communicating via RPM for three years and spelled this poem on a letterboard with her mother.  Shana is completing high school soon.  She loves poetry of all kinds.  She is bilingual in English and Russian.

Friends Discussing Autism

Today's post was co-written by two best friends, Brayden and Fox, from Ontario, Canada.  Both learned to communicate from Soma Mukhopadhyay using RPM.  They spell their answers on a letterboard.  I am particularly impressed because I met Brayden just this past July at a Buffalo RPM workshop when he was just starting out.  To see him progress this far in just 9 months is astounding!  I believe a big factor in this has been his friendship with Fox, who had been communicating via RPM just a little ahead of him.  The two boys meet weekly to play and talk to each other.  I hope you are inspired as I am by the power and love of this beautiful friendship!  -Lisa

Friends Brayden and Fox

I AM BRAYDEN. I AM EIGHT YEARS OLD. I HAVE TWO SISTERS AND A SERVICE DOG NAMED GUSTO. I CAME UP WITH THIS LIST WITH MY BEST FRIEND FOX. WE BOTH HAVE AUTISM AND ARE NON VERBAL. WE USE RPM TO TALK. WE CAME UP WITH THE MISCONCEPTIONS LIST BECAUSE WE WANTED TO INFORM PEOPLE ABOUT AUTISM. IT MEANS THE WORLD TO ME TO HAVE A FRIEND THAT UNDERSTANDS WHAT IT'S LIKE TO LIVE WITH AUTISM. HE ACCEPTS ME FOR WHO I AM INCLUDING MY FLAWS. THATS WHAT GOOD FRIENDS ARE FOR. I ACCEPT HIM FOR WHO HE IS. WE CAN TALK ABOUT AUTISM AND ANYTHING AT ALL REALLY. I AM HAPPY WE ARE BEST FRIENDS. GOOD FRIENDS RESPECT ONE ANOTHER. AUTISM IS A GIFT AND IT SHOULD NEVER BE A BURDEN BUT A BLESSING FROM GOD. LOVE YOUR AUTISTIC AND BELIEVE IN THEM. THEY HAVE THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS JUST LIKE THE REST OF US. TREAT US LIKE ANYBODY ELSE. WE HAVE A HARD TIME EXPRESSING OURSELVES AND CONTROLLING OUR BODIES. HELP AUTISTICS FIND THEIR VOICE AND HELP CHANGE THE VIEWS ON AUTISM. CHANGING AUTISM ONE VOICE AT A TIME. I AM FOX. I AM EIGHT YEARS OLD. I LEARNED TO TALK WITH LETTERS LAST MAY. LETTERS ARE MISSING IN LOTS OF AUTISTICS LIVES. MOM TEACHES INTERESTING THINGS TO ME AND I AM WISHING ALL AUTISTICS ARE ABLE TO LEARN INTERESTING THINGS TOO. MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT AUTISM ALWAYS KEEP HAPPENING. I HOPE THIS LIST HELPS KEEP MISCONCEPTIONS AWAY. I BECAME FRIENDS WITH BRAYDEN AFTER HE STARTED TALKING WITH LETTERS TOO. I LOVE BEING FRIENDS WITH BRAYDEN. HE IS FUN TO TALK TO AND PLAY WITH. TALKING TO SOMEONE WITH AUTISM MAKES EACH DAY MAKE SENSE. THE LIST REALLY SHOWS HOW AUTISM IS MISUNDERSTOOD. I HOPE YOU ALL LIKE OUR LIST. Misconceptions About Autism: B: HAVING A STUPID MIND F: THAT AUTISTICS ARE ALWAYS DOING WHAT THEY WANT TO DO B: THAT WE CAN'T LEARN F: THAT AUTISTICS ARE NOT ABLE TO ALWAYS UNDERSTAND OTHER PEOPLE TALKING B: THAT AUTISTICS HAVE CONTROL OF THEIR BODIES ALL THE TIME F: THAT AUTISM MEANS WE LEARN A LOT SLOWER THEN EVERYONE ELSE B: THAT AUTISTICS ARE BADLY BEHAVED F: THAT AUTISTICS YELL ON PURPOSE B: THAT AUTISTICS DON'T NEED FRIENDS F: I AM LIKING THAT ONE B: ITS BULL F: BRAYDEN IS A GOOD FRIEND B: YOU'RE A GOOD FRIEND TOO FOX

I'm A Person, Not Autism

By Josiah Cullen

Thinking my losses were big, I'm landing my feet

Pounding my way through the mouth of loss

I'm not my mouth, I'm my mind and spirit

Look on my mind and I'm loud inside

Look on my large laboratory in my soul

I'm bigger than my frame and joy is great

Read my lips--no don't, they don't move right

My jobless mouth thinks that it is personhood

I'm not loud in my laughter like most are

I'm joyful in my language of loud notes

Pair my joy in this month with my need for you

Thinking on me, I'm not a lamb or lion

I'm not mouthy to light up nights

I'm not holding autism miles on laps in malls

I'm not looking for my family of boys like me

I'm looking for my looking humanity

Pass my way and I'm looking on you

I'm looking into your notions

I'm joining your joy and your pain

Thank you for needing more love than you have

Thank you for going for big joy in letting me in

Poking out from your light is your real self

I'm joyful too when I'm me in my limits off

Pick me for nominations and I will pass

Look at me like I'm good and I will pass

Keep me like I'm loud to your hoping and I'm here

Polling for brightness, I'm holding light

Lapping for joy, I'm ordering my steps

Opening my mouth, I'm looking pale

Opening my heart, I'm looking home

I'm not lost in this place in my thinking

I'm lost in my performing like all are

Polaroid pictures look like poor quality at first

Polaroid pictures get light and pop to life

Mighty people, you mouth words mightily

Power is noted in loud positions

Look inside, for mouths only move to jaywalk

Power is mighty if more look around than please

Politely, make your move on this day

Politely, look for joining more kids in love

Put more kids in positive youthful places

Leave no man behind in his loud mind

Put more love into looking for pals than labels

Open your life to the kids that are not like most

Hold hands with lots of kids in hope of faith

Thank you for my hope in living loud

My joy is more in than out, but it's there

Josiah is 9 years old and is non-verbal. The Rapid Prompting Method opened up his communication three years ago, and he now types with his pointer finger on his iPad with some arm steadying as we work toward full independence. He loves to write poetry and wise sayings we feature on his Facebook page, Josiah's Fire.

Letter of Resolution

Elizabeth writes:

I'm sharing (with permission) a letter written by my son, Thomas.  He and Brianne (his RPM teacher) were talking about new year's resolutions and she suggested he write a letter to himself.  He wrote:

To Thomas,

You are getting wiser with each year.  Don't stop now.  There are miracles that happen and if you keep your eyes wide open then you will see them.  You may even become part of a miracle.  You must have faith in yourself.  This is going to be a favorite year of yours.  Stay safe.

Thomas

Thomas is 23 and from New York.  He lives on Long Island with his brothers Conor and Brendan.  He has been communicating using RPM with Brianne for about 1 1/2 years.  He recently wrote "I am more of a thinker now, and that stays forever."  He is interested in learning more about World History.

Earth Day- An Acrostic Poem

By Philip

Earth is God's greenspace 

Ancient as time            

Real marred by man

The me-minded world

Has to master its greed.

My Life Before I Found My Voice

By Andrew Simmons

I used to feel so lonely I wanted to die.  I used to sit in my room reading baby books and watching baby shows that I hated but I couldn't stop myself.  My mom and dad thought it was what I wanted to do but it was the last thing I wanted to do!  It made me so hopeless and crying in my head was what I did.  That you might think I wanted that was my body not my brain.  The saddest part of my life was in my house in Indiana.  I knew I had a voice but no one else did.  It was like living in great times but no one knew I was there.

I hated school because I knew I was better than what they thought I was!  Getting to school by riding the bus was good but everything else was bad.  They didn't know my voice was in there so it's not their fault but it made my life awful.  I really wanted to learn so much more but didn't get to. 

Getting through those times was hard.  I very much wanted to live in the holy place of heaven.  I passed the time by thinking of holy things like God.  My happiest times were when I thought about pulling my voice up (asked for more clarification), telling people I had a voice. 

My mom was just the motivation I needed.  I remember her taking me to music classes at Miss Casey's (Andrew's previous music therapist from Indiana) to learn about my body.  The best part of my week was when Miss Casey came because she got me.  It was hard not hearing my voice but I knew she would find me. 

I used to feel so hopeless but now I don't.  Now I see God's plan for me!  Good education is so important to my life that people just need to know my brain is hungry for knowledge!  If you have a voice but no one has found it, please please please don't give up on your life!

Andrew Simmons is a 15 year old with autism.  Nonverbal his whole life, Andrew was assumed to have the mentality of a 2-3 year old until April of last year.  Andrew "found his voice" using supported typing as a way to communicate and has not looked back!  He is a strong self-advocate.  His goal is to “reach millions to tell others about his voice” using his tag line “Freedom is Here!”  Andrew currently lives with his Mom, Dad, his 2 brothers and his support dog, Campbell.  Please visit his Facebook page "Andrew's Real Life of Autism" to learn more!