The Guide, Hearing and Assistance Dogs Amendment Bill has been passed in Queensland Parliament, allowing for alternative handlers to assist a primary handler (eg a child with disability), authorising trainers to issue handler identity cards, and removing the need for handlers to prove their disability when renewing identity cards.
Julia on Sesame Street
It’s all over the news, and since one of my children is well beyond Sesame Street and the other is not interested, I largely ignored the multiple articles about Julia, Sesame Street’s new Autistic muppet. I eventually did flick through a few articles, and there was the usual polarity within the autism community and very little in the middle of the road. One very well-written article that I did enjoy was called “Is Julia really the only muppet with a disability?“. Obviously from the title, the author suggested diagnoses for a few other characters- but she also talked about building empathy, compassion and inclusion, and referenced another article, which asked questions about whether knowing about a character’s disability would change the way we thought about them, and whether or not we need to draw attention to every difference among us.
Continuing on this theme, is an article by Stuart Duncan (of Autcraft fame), called “This is why no autism story or program will ever be perfect“. It’s a great explanation about how everyone’s experience of autism is different- and that is why it is important to have multiple narratives, as that is where real autism understanding and acceptance comes from.
I Am Aspienwoman- review
I have recently finished reading I Am AspienWoman by Tania Marshall. It is similar in style to her previous book (I Am AspienGirl), visually stunning with striking photos throughout, and quotes from both women on the spectrum, and their families/friends/colleagues/psychologists. Rather than being a textbook list of typical traits of “AspienWomen”, she has allowed the women to speak for themselves- their diversity, strengths and challenges. Some of the later sections in the book are a Mentors section (with introduction, strengths, tips and contact details); a list of commonly observed characteristics, traits and strengths of adult females; and a list of reasons to obtain an adult formal diagnosis. Very thorough, visual and positive.
Five minutes … or not?
Ann Memmott has written an article about Autism Basics, called “When ‘I’ll be back in five minutes’ isn’t true”. This literalism isn’t psychological, or controlling- it’s a brain wired for detail and accuracy, and trying to manage sensory overload. She gives good descriptions about what is happening in her brain and environment during (and after) those five minutes, and some alternative suggestions that might be more helpful when communicating with Autistic people.
Self-injurious behaviours
Interesting article about self-injurious behaviours– what they are and why they occur.
Self injurious behaviors are not the same as self harm. I feel self harm is a much more concerning issue than SIBs because it encompasses emotional torment (although there is overlap of self harm and SIBs in some cases).
On a small scale, my SIBs are not that big a deal. I bite my fingers while trying to process phone calls. Under the table, my nails dig into my leg during a meeting. These acts are not a lack of control. I am exerting some small control over my surroundings. Often, I can’t avoid an overstimulating environment. Pain works as a filter. Enough pain, and the ambient noise dulls to a roar so that I may at least fake my way through a conversation without tears. These are minor acts that may result in a bruise or a little blood, but no real damage.
The best you support you can provide to someone with self injurious behaviors is an open mind. Don’t dismiss possible triggers. If someone communicates to you that an environment or activity is overwhelming, even if that communication is not speech, pay attention to them.
Self-advocacy and socio-economic factors
Judy Endow has written about two dental experiences- the first when she was a state medical insurance patient, and the second when she had private health insurance. She used the same self-advocacy techniques in each case, but the treatment she received varied greatly. She made a sarcastic reference about the need to teach self-advocacy skills based on a person’s socio-economic status- but the real issue is society’s attitudes towards poor people.
Planning autism-friendly workshops
After attending a disastrous meeting, the author outlined several strategies to make meetings more autism-friendly. Some of these included skipping initial introductions, don’t allow one or two people dominate the conversation, provide paper/email address as alternative methods for people to submit their ideas, and ask in advance what accommodations people may need.
Showering struggles
Many people with sensory issues find showering difficult. Shawna asked for suggestions on her Facebook page, and these are outlined in this post.
Compassion is dead
I found Compassion: an obituary to be a very realistic and moving post, outlining the history of compassion (eg during the Blitz and Miners Strikes), and the growing selfishness that portrays those unable to work as burdens on society.
Dole scrounger. Benefits cheat. Stoke people’s fears that somebody somewhere is getting away with it, and keep their attention away from the fact that so many who are in genuine need are denied assistance. That fear has replaced compassion. Instead of caring and ensuring that nobody goes without sufficient means to live, we are constantly being told that the most important thing is that not a single person gets more than their entitlement.
Recognising Invisible Disabilities
There are so many things I like about this post! It starts with a Youtube clip called “I’m Brianna Couture”, three girls all posing as 15-year old Brianna Couture, who all describe Brianna’s invisible disability- but it’s not till the end of the clip that the girls divulge which of them is the “real” Brianna Couture.
Too often, when discussing inclusion in faith communities, I have heard: “We don’t have any members (of our congregation) with disabilities, so we don’t really need to think about inclusion.” Really? There are NO members with disabilities? Watch the video again.
We don’t “do inclusion” for our members. Rather, creating an inclusive community is about being ready. When we wait until someone comes through our doors, often it is too late and the accommodations become reactive. True inclusion is proactive.
lovenlearning 