A Diagnosis Doesn’t Invalidate Your Opinion
Discussions are a part of life. Debates, arguments, even conversations, those are things that happen daily. You can learn a lot from them and others from you. Sometimes, people don’t have the best intentions. They may try to troll (harass) or even use your diagnosis against you. Those types of individuals can be challenging to […]
Read moreTime to Change
I need to change things in my life so I waited to New Years to say “Yes, I’m going to change this year!” I feel a bit silly waiting til’ the start of a new year to think about making important changes in my life, but I wasn’t ready to admit that I need to […]
Read moreHighlight of 2018: Picture Perfect
During the 2018 Annual Philadelphia Autism Project Conference: Lighting the Way through Transitions on November 30, 2018, I had the chance to talk with and interview public speaker and self-advocate, Kerry Magro. As we shared small tidbits about our lives, joked and had a really good time, there was one thing I felt as though […]
Read moreA Year of Progress
Throughout life’s struggles, we often can over focus on traumatic events. Something can occur where your life changes drastically and trying to find another perspective can be a grueling task. Even though I’ve been through tough times, I’ve also accomplished a lot. I made great strides with volunteering locally and earning another certification in mental […]
Read moreManaging a Social Group
Managing a public Meetup social group is not an easy feat. The meetup that I established with a friend has reached over one hundred members in nearly two years. With so many members we have to cater to different personalities and preferences when organizing events while maintaining control of the site itself. The meetup itself […]
Read moreSaying No
I found that speaking up for yourself is difficult and that saying “no” is not a popular response. Sometimes others encourage me to do something that I don’t feel comfortable doing. Sometimes when I say “yes”, there is a high price I pay for being so agreeable. I used to say “yes” even when it […]
Read moreThe Journey of Grief: Learning and Healing
On ASDNext, in the past, I’ve written about the loss of both of my parents. The death of both of them and my father being the most recent weighs heavily on my heart. My parents shaped me into who I am today, and I can only work hard to honor their memory. I must also […]
Read moreSalsa Friday’s
This month has been pretty interesting, but kind of eerie at that same time. It started off with some pretty uninviting times where I experienced a great deal of boredom that I put myself into. Do I enjoy it? Sometimes. Do I want it to change? Indeed! Out of all the things that I had […]
Read moreHanging Back
I have never been a “get in the middle” type of person. As far back as I can remember, I have been more of the “hanging back, watching” type, only coming closer if I feel comfortable. Being around groups of people is draining even if I know them well. Family holidays would be tiring since […]
Read moreDespite Tragedy A Community Showcases Love, Hope, and Resiliency
On October the 27th the city I live in awoke to what appeared to be another typical morning. Pittsburgh is a busy city filled with the hustle and bustle of everyday people going about their day; however, this one, in particular, changed everything. At the Tree of Life synagogue, in Squirrel Hill, a gunman chose […]
Read moreLosing Winter
Not too long ago I had to put one of my dogs down. Winter had been dealing with several tumors and we finally decided that it was time to let her go. She’d been in our family for twelve years and had been cherished for every moment. My dad was away when Winter tore a tumor off […]
Read moreFemale Expectations: Musings on What I’m “Supposed To Be”
As a woman, I feel I’m supposed to be: A natural babysitter. Good with children. A counselor. A nurse. A taxi driver. A house cleaner. Empathetic. Dressed properly for every occasion. A good hostess. A good cook. A caretaker of others. Pretty. Always smiling. Fit and thin. Problem-free/carefree. A planner and organizer. Agreeable. Not “too […]
Read moreHarry Potter
Growing up, I always had a fascination with magic. The power to make something appear out of thin air, change animals into particular objects. The ability to create and manipulate the fabric of reality with just a few chosen words. Magic isn’t real of course, but when I discovered the Harry Potter series as a […]
Read moreThe Art of Creativity
My mother would always bring up the ideology of superman as an example of autism and how his presentation, or specifically, the “S” on his chest is the symbol of hope. It was that very idea that got me into superheroes and comic books. However, this image represents so many things from a personal perspective […]
Read moreOVR
This summer I decided to leave my job. It became clear to me that there was no opportunity for advancement given the specialty of all the available position. After I left my job I decided to use part of the summer to rest and relax. During that time I realized that I had absolutely no […]
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