Category Archives: Social Considerations

The Hidden Curriculum About Fat

June 1, 2015Hidden Curriculum, Social Considerationsautism, autistic experience, Diversity, employment, first person account, neurologyadmin

Just started another diet. I am determined to lose a little weight so as to be healthier. I know I can do this because I have done it nine times already. Each time I have been very successful, but the only problem is that each time I have lost the very same weight after having gained it back from the previous episode of losing it. I know I am not alone in this constant weight struggle. Lots of people lose a bit of weight only to gain it back again.

Another thing I am not alone in is liking it when people notice that I have lost weight. After all that effort and denial on a daily basis it is gratifying when a friend lets me know she can see that I have lost weight. Just like me, my friends who struggle with losing and gaining excess weight, also like to receive compliments.

Most of my life I have been perplexed over this. While I know my friends like to receive compliments about weight loss, it seems they only act happy some of the time. The rest of the time when I have issued compliments I get a negative response. It turns out there is a lot of hidden curriculum around this topic!

Hidden curriculum refers to all the unspoken social rules that run the world! These are the unwritten rules that are assumed knowledge.

Example: A sign saying “Free Cookies” means only one cookie per person.

The way it is written, it technically means all the cookies are free, so one person could take them all. Because most people know the hidden curriculum it would be unlikely that one person would take all the cookies. But that is where the problem comes in. Those of us with an autism neurology do not automatically pick up the hidden curriculum. It means we often violate hidden curriculum and when we do we don’t even realize it unless someone points it out.

Here are some examples where I missed the boat (idiom) because I did not understand the hidden curriculum around talking about the subject of fat:

Example 1: My friend Sherry lost a huge amount of weight – like over 100 pounds. I hadn’t seen her for several months. We made a plan to go to an outdoor art fair. At one point I happened to be walking behind Sherry and blurted out, “Holy man Sherry Moyer – your butt fell off! From my vantage point, it looked exactly like that. Because Sherry is a good friend she laughed and said, “I’m taking that as a compliment!” She went on to tell me my words would not be perceived as a compliment by someone else. I think people are a bit too picky. After all, if I looked my butt fell off I would be pleased to have the whole world take notice and say so!

Example 2: My friend Brenda, on her way to a meeting, directly asked me, “Does this suit make me look fat?” The day before she had asked me nearly the same question and I had given an answer that was accepted as supportive and kind. Problem was – I couldn’t remember what I had said. I decided to hook into my comment of the previous day and in the most reassuring voice possible I replied, “You don’t look anymore fat today than you did yesterday.” Let me tell you – that did not produce the intended results!

Example 3: Many women like to wear clothing that makes them appear thinner than they actually are. One time a friend and I were presenting together for a few days. She had gotten two new sweater sets. The first day she said out loud, “I hope these new sweater sets don’t make me look fatter than I am. Do I look OK?” to which I replied, “Yes, you look fine.” The next day she put on the second new sweater set and was looking in the mirror this way and that way. “How do I look?” she asked. Wanting to be a good friend and knowing she was worried about looking fatter than she really was I responded, “No worries. You do not look any fatter than you really are.” Let me tell you – even though I intended to give a compliment, my words were not perceived as one!

Example 4: I think it is a safe thing to say that nobody wants to be fat. I do not know one single person who wishes they were a fat person. It is good to be a healthy weight so as to avoid all sorts of health problems, but mostly women want to look good. We try all sorts of diets and different sorts of food plans. We walk, run, bike, and do whatever we can to jiggle off as much fat as possible. Even after I have worked very hard to lose weight, I often times am still the heaviest person in the room. I was so very pleased recently when in the company of a handful of others that I blurted out my truth to all exclaiming, “I am so glad that I am not the fattest person in the room!” Funny thing – it got really quiet. Even though every woman in the room who was not the fattest person was secretly very happy about that fact, unlike me, they did not voice it.

I have learned some of the hidden curriculum about fat. Nobody likes to be fat. No compliment should contain the word fat in it. Newly skinny people often do not like to be reminded they were once fat. And no matter where you are in the ranking of women in the room nobody else wants you to announce the comparison unless they are all skinnier than you!

BOOKS BY JUDY ENDOW

Endow, J. (2019).  Autistically Thriving: Reading Comprehension, Conversational Engagement, and Living a Self-Determined Life Based on Autistic Neurology. Lancaster, PA: Judy Endow.

Endow, J. (2012). Learning the Hidden Curriculum: The Odyssey of One Autistic Adult. Shawnee Mission, KS: AAPC Publishing.

Endow, J. (2006).  Making Lemonade: Hints for Autism’s Helpers. Cambridge, WI: CBR Press.

Endow, J. (2013).  Painted Words: Aspects of Autism Translated. Cambridge, WI: CBR Press.

Endow, J. (2009).  Paper Words: Discovering and Living With My Autism. Shawnee Mission, KS: AAPC Publishing.

Endow, J. (2009).  Outsmarting Explosive Behavior: A Visual System of Support and Intervention for Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorders. Shawnee Mission, KS: AAPC Publishing.

Endow, J. (2010).  Practical Solutions for Stabilizing Students With Classic Autism to Be Ready to Learn: Getting to Go. Shawnee Mission, KS: AAPC Publishing.

Myles, B. S., Endow, J., & Mayfield, M. (2013).  The Hidden Curriculum of Getting and Keeping a Job: Navigating the Social Landscape of Employment. Shawnee Mission, KS: AAPC Publishing.

Originally written for and published by Ollibean on May 25, 2015

Autism and Meaningful Employment

May 28, 2015Autism and Aging, Communication, Growing Up Autistic, Hidden Curriculum, Social Considerationsautism, autistic, autistic experience, employment, first person account, sensory, transitionadmin

Autism is a developmental delay. This is particularly important when it comes to our youth who are at the age typical youth graduate from high school and launch into their adult life. Typically developing youth are ready to go off to college or become employed in a full time job upon high school graduation. For a few, this happens immediately upon high school graduation, but for most it takes another process where they work a job, attend higher education, and move away from the family home – either all at once or a little at a time so that over the next few years the high school graduates find their starting place in the big wide world.

For our youth with autism, because of the developmental delay, that launching takes different trajectories. For some, attending high school as a special education student in the age 18-21 category allows for further skill development and potential job placement. This is great if the job placement is looked at as a first job.

We have all had our first jobs where we learned all about the world of work – about things such as being on time, arriving at work ready to engage in the job, managing our personal and social lives outside of work hours, how to fit in and have conversation with the various groups of people (co-workers versus the boss) along with all the other numerous learning experiences our first job afforded us.

What I see happen all too often with our 18-21 year old special education students who remain in high school and who are supported in their first job is that first job is thought of as the end of the story. What should be a first job experience often comes with an assumption that it is a life long job placement. This is wrong on ever so many levels. Just think back to your first job and consider how rewarding and fulfilling it would be if someone else decided that would be your job for life.

Another problem our students with autism face is they are most often put into job programs along with other students with developmental delays without consideration of their cognitive ability. This matters. For developmental delays other than autism, cognitive ability (as measured by intelligence scores) is typically lower than average. Individuals with autism may have less than normal intelligence scores, but they are just as likely to have normal and even above normal intelligence. And yet, because of autism, they also have a significant developmental delay. Shredding paper, wiping down tables in fast food places, or other similar jobs might be a good first job, but will not likely be a satisfying life long job for someone of normal or above normal intelligence. Because our job programs for students with developmental delays are geared towards those who also have significantly decreased cognitive abilities, the programs are often poor matches for students with autism.

The developmental delay in autism also looks different across adulthood than it does for those with intellectual disability. People with autism get their diagnosis due to differences in social, sensory and communication areas. These delays in childhood often show improvement in individuals across the lifespan. This is different than intellectual disability where IQ is fixed and does not improve over the lifespan. Autism is a developmental delay. It is not stagnation! Youth and young adults with autism continue to make gains develop over the lifespan.

To improve across the lifespan, the areas affected by autism – social, sensory and communication – are the areas that need to be addressed in transition programming for our youth with autism. All the employment and independent living skills need to be taught with this in mind. I co-authored the book The Hidden Curriculum of Getting and Keeping a Job: Navigating the Social Landscape of Employment to address some of the areas our youth with autism need in order to be successful.

Something happening right now in my corner of the world to assist youth with autism to transition from high school and to eventually take their place in the world is a project called Meaningful Employment at Common Threads near Madison, WI. This project was chosen as a finalist for the State Farm Neighborhood Grant. The winners of this $25,000 grant will be chosen by popular vote on Facebook. The top 40 of the 200 finalists will each receive the $25,000 to use for their project. We desperately want to be in the top 40. We plan to purchase the startup equipment for a licensed commercial kitchen. This is a natural next step for our transition programming to afford those in our cooking class to be supported in the next step – getting their first job!

Please vote for our project. We are currently at 54 on the leader board. Help us make it into the top 40 by voting each day through June 3, 2015 – remember to check the box to give us all ten votes each day you vote.

To vote: First get onto your Facebook account and then use this link

NOTE: The voting is now over.

Please pass around to any person or group on Facebook who might be interested in helping us make a difference when it comes to employment for youth with autism. Know that I thank you from the bottom of my heart!

Sincerely,

Judy Endow

BOOKS BY JUDY ENDOW

Endow, J. (2019).  Autistically Thriving: Reading Comprehension, Conversational Engagement, and Living a Self-Determined Life Based on Autistic Neurology. Lancaster, PA: Judy Endow.

Endow, J. (2012). Learning the Hidden Curriculum: The Odyssey of One Autistic Adult. Shawnee Mission, KS: AAPC Publishing.

Endow, J. (2006).  Making Lemonade: Hints for Autism’s Helpers. Cambridge, WI: CBR Press.

Endow, J. (2013).  Painted Words: Aspects of Autism Translated. Cambridge, WI: CBR Press.

Endow, J. (2009).  Paper Words: Discovering and Living With My Autism. Shawnee Mission, KS: AAPC Publishing.

Endow, J. (2009).  Outsmarting Explosive Behavior: A Visual System of Support and Intervention for Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorders. Shawnee Mission, KS: AAPC Publishing.

Endow, J. (2010).  Practical Solutions for Stabilizing Students With Classic Autism to Be Ready to Learn: Getting to Go. Shawnee Mission, KS: AAPC Publishing.

Myles, B. S., Endow, J., & Mayfield, M. (2013).  The Hidden Curriculum of Getting and Keeping a Job: Navigating the Social Landscape of Employment. Shawnee Mission, KS: AAPC Publishing.

Common Threads Family Resources Center, located minutes from Madison, WI, offers school and mental health programs geared toward individuals affected by autism, behavioral disorders, and mental health challenges. Our experienced and talented team of professionals creates a daily environment of acceptance and growth where students and clients flourish. http://www.commonthreadsmadison.org

State Farm Neighborhood Assist is a crowd-sourced philanthropic initiative that lets communities determine where grant funding is awarded, exclusively through Facebook. The initiative utilizes the State Farm Youth Advisory Board to vet submissions for causes and allows Facebook users who download the free State Farm Neighborhood Assist application to vote for the final 40 grant winners. The program has been inspired by the incredible number of neighborhoods that are coming together to solve a problem or improve their community.

Scientific Validation of Autistic Humanity

May 6, 2015Activism/Advocacy, Sensory Solutions, Social Considerationsart, autism, autism research, autistic, autistic experience, first person account, neurology, sensoryadmin

When I was a teenager, the “too much” of life caught up with me. Everything in the world around me was just too much.

…too much noise with the varying sounds of the world clamoring to grab my attention, their pitches and tones wildly crashing into each other as if competing for a speed prize on a race track – or so I wished … If only the cacophony of the world outside my skin would at least line up and compete in some orderly fashion – like race cars on a race track – it would then allow me to watch the color of each sound going around and around, and thus enable me to keep track of this forever multi-tonal, warped schizophrenic sound in the world all around me –

sounds wildly speeding

and crashing into each other

polluting the air waves with

nonsensical meaning able only

to be sorted out by retreating…

The above is how the first chapter of my book Paper Words: Discovering and Living With My Autism opens. This book was published in 2009. All my growing up and most of my adult life I was blamed for being too sensitive and was treated for what people assumed were psychological problems. In fact, I spent some years of my childhood in a state mental institution. Despite the various treatments I received my problems never improved. Behavior Modification taught me which behaviors to inhibit because they were unacceptable to those around me. I learned to hide the pain reaction to my sensory sensitivities, getting better at it with practice, and ultimately gaining discharge from the institution.

Over the course of my adult life I continued to figure out my own sensory differences and got better and better at regulating my sensory system. Today I am well able to live a comfortable life, but it requires everyday diligence in monitoring and adjusting input to my sensory system. Sensory regulation has been my ticket to being and doing all I want in this world.

Even though I personally know how dramatically autistic sensory differences can impact one’s life, I still occasionally find in my consulting practice professional people who say things like “Sensory isn’t really a real thing so we only give students sensory breaks on Fridays because we have more time on Fridays” and “I don’t believe in sensory. Not sure I believe in autism either.”

You can now understand why I am so excited about new brain research findings reported in March 2015 on the sensory problems many with autism spectrum diagnosis experience. It finally brings scientific authentication to the everyday lives of countless autistics, me being one of them!

The new research reports that signals that relay sensations from nerves into the brain are abnormally strong in people with autism. The findings, published March 12, 2015 in Brain, explain why some people with autism are overly sensitive to sensory stimuli such as light, sound and touch (Khan, 2015).

Then, this past week Nicholette Zeiiadt wrote about this research in an article called “Brain Connections Give Clues to Sensory Problems in Autism.” Here is an excerpt from this article (Zeliadt, 2015):

The new study found that autism brains have abnormal connections both among nearby regions and among those that are distantly connected.

The researchers discovered that, in particular, long-range ‘feed-forward’ connections, which ferry signals from peripheral nerves into the brain, tend to send abnormally strong signals in people with autism. By contrast, short-range ‘feedback’ connections that relay signals in the opposite direction within the brain tend to be unusually weak.

“Essentially, this gives us a finer-grain understanding of what might be going wrong in autism,” says lead researcher Tal Kenet, instructor in neurology at Harvard Medical School.

The finding “really pushes the field forward,” says Marlene Behrmann, professor of psychology at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, who was not involved in the work. “It opens up a new window into this question of connectivity in autism.”

I love when science catches up to the autistic experience. It allows countless people to receive validation overnight. We go from “psychologically disturbed” and “behaviorally challenged” to “scientific” all because science has caught up with our everyday experience of the world around us. We are not there yet today, but hopefully in a soon-to-be tomorrow a child presenting similar to my experience in outlined in the opening section of this blog will be treated differently. I like to think that instead of years of institutionalization, tomorrow’s autistic child will instead be treated by an Occupational Therapist for the very real sensory issues dictated by his autistic brain. Indeed that IS happening in some places today, but sadly, it is not yet the collective experience in the autism community.

Even so, I am encouraged that young autistics coming up behind me might be treated and regarded more humanely than I was for most of my life. Because the collective experience of countless adult autistics is often counted as invalid by society at large, the validation of the humanity of autistic people can come from brain research.

So, my heartfelt thanks goes out to all those who spend their life researching the brains of autistic people. Your-day-to day work in a scientifically technical field validates autistic humanity to society. Nothing could be more important.

Painting is AIRSCAPE
available in packs of 5 greeting cards
and 3 print sizes
under the Art Store tab at
www.judyendow.com

BOOKS BY JUDY ENDOW

Endow, J. (2019).  Autistically Thriving: Reading Comprehension, Conversational Engagement, and Living a Self-Determined Life Based on Autistic Neurology. Lancaster, PA: Judy Endow.

Endow, J. (2012). Learning the Hidden Curriculum: The Odyssey of One Autistic Adult. Shawnee Mission, KS: AAPC Publishing.

Endow, J. (2006).  Making Lemonade: Hints for Autism’s Helpers. Cambridge, WI: CBR Press.

Endow, J. (2013).  Painted Words: Aspects of Autism Translated. Cambridge, WI: CBR Press.

Endow, J. (2009).  Paper Words: Discovering and Living With My Autism. Shawnee Mission, KS: AAPC Publishing.

Endow, J. (2009).  Outsmarting Explosive Behavior: A Visual System of Support and Intervention for Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorders. Shawnee Mission, KS: AAPC Publishing.

Endow, J. (2010).  Practical Solutions for Stabilizing Students With Classic Autism to Be Ready to Learn: Getting to Go. Shawnee Mission, KS: AAPC Publishing.

Myles, B. S., Endow, J., & Mayfield, M. (2013).  The Hidden Curriculum of Getting and Keeping a Job: Navigating the Social Landscape of Employment. Shawnee Mission, KS: AAPC Publishing.

OTHER RESOURCES

Khan S. et al. (2015 ahead of print). Brain Epub: PubMed.

Zeliadt, N. (April 23, 2015). Brain connections give clues to sensory problems in autism. Epub: SFARI.

Originally written for and published by Ollibean on May 4, 2015

Autistic Adults Do Not Look Like Autistic Children

March 23, 2015Autism and Aging, Autistic "Behavior", Communication, Growing Up Autistic, Sensory Solutions, Social Considerationsadmin

I recently presented to a room full of people on the topic of Autistic People and Literacy. A few days later I again presented to another group of people on another autism related topic. It doesn’t matter the autism topic or whether the group I am presenting to be educators, therapists, or parents of children with autism – I am almost always approached by someone wanting to know how it is that I do not look or act anything like the autistic children they know.

There are many reasons autistic adults do not look like autistic children. Here are some to consider:

1. The first reason is that all children grow up. Adults, whether autistic or not, generally do not behave in their everyday lives the same way they behaved as small children. We all grow and change with maturity. Autism does not prevent a person from growing and changing over time.

2. Autism means, in part, developmental delay. When we are children this delay can be huge, making us look very different from our same-age peers. However, delay does not mean stagnant. It simply means delay. Developmentally appropriate things that cannot be done at the correct age can often be accomplished later in life. Typically, this takes a lot of support and effort, but over time that support, effort and direct instruction tends to pay off, as we grow older, being able to do many things than we couldn’t as a youngster.

3. Autism means there are communication challenges. Even so, everyone communicates, including nonspeaking autistics. Challenges are the biggest when they are the newest. Over time communication challenges can be addressed, accommodated and supported. This takes time and much effort. The result is that the communication challenges seen in a 3 year old or a 12 year old will likely not look the same when that child is 30, 50 or 70 years old.

4. I personally have not met any autistics (and I have met a lot of people from my tribe) that have not been challenged by their sensory differences. Again, the challenges are the greatest when we are youngsters because we have not yet learned how to manage our sensory system in a world that is geared for people with “typical” sensory systems. By the time we are 40 or 60 years old we are more in-the-know and can plan for meeting our own sensory needs much better than we could as youngsters.

5. Autistics want friends just like everyone else. As youngsters, most of us do not have the skills to make that happen. Also, children are grouped together according to age and due to our developmental delay we are often not social peers with same-age children. This compounds the difficulty in making friends. Early adulthood can be especially challenging as we are often socially and emotionally at a much younger age than people expect when they look at us. It is often taboo for young adults to have friends who are children, even when the young adult is the same emotional age as a 10 or 12 year old. It takes a lot of years for this to get better, but it can and does get better for a lot of autistics. Just think about it – it would be considered “inappropriate” for a 22 year old to befriend a 14 year old because of the eight-year difference, but when you are in your 30’s or 50’s nobody cares if there is an eight-year or more difference in age between friends.

These are just a few of the reasons why autistic adults do not look like autistic youngsters. In my case, there are a few more points to consider. Not only am I autistic myself, but autism is my profession. I work in the field, have written several articles and books and have made more than 300 presentations in the States and internationally. To do my work I must be diligent in my sensory regulation every day, I have mentors who I can turn to around communication struggles and other challenges, and I generally know what I need and how to ask for it should the occasion arise.

Even so, I am just as autistic as ever. I no longer live in an institution or use body slamming to communicate my needs. Over the years I have learned to work with my autism, honoring who I am in this world. Some days I am better at this than other days. I am nearing retirement now and when people approach me and are befuddled that I do not look anything like their autistic youngster these are the things I would like them to consider. Yes, autism can be difficult. I know. I live it everyday. It is my life. It is my profession. Yes, I agree – autistic adults do not look like autistic children. It is because autistics have unlimited potential.

BOOKS BY JUDY ENDOW

Endow, J. (2019).  Autistically Thriving: Reading Comprehension, Conversational Engagement, and Living a Self-Determined Life Based on Autistic Neurology. Lancaster, PA: Judy Endow.

Endow, J. (2012). Learning the Hidden Curriculum: The Odyssey of One Autistic Adult. Shawnee Mission, KS: AAPC Publishing.

Endow, J. (2006).  Making Lemonade: Hints for Autism’s Helpers. Cambridge, WI: CBR Press.

Endow, J. (2013).  Painted Words: Aspects of Autism Translated. Cambridge, WI: CBR Press.

Endow, J. (2009).  Paper Words: Discovering and Living With My Autism. Shawnee Mission, KS: AAPC Publishing.

Endow, J. (2009).  Outsmarting Explosive Behavior: A Visual System of Support and Intervention for Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorders. Shawnee Mission, KS: AAPC Publishing.

Endow, J. (2010).  Practical Solutions for Stabilizing Students With Classic Autism to Be Ready to Learn: Getting to Go. Shawnee Mission, KS: AAPC Publishing.

Myles, B. S., Endow, J., & Mayfield, M. (2013).  The Hidden Curriculum of Getting and Keeping a Job: Navigating the Social Landscape of Employment. Shawnee Mission, KS: AAPC Publishing.

Originally written for and published by Ollibean on February 23, 2015

The Pseudo Logic of “Not Autistic Enough”

March 8, 2015Activism/Advocacy, Autism and Aging, Social Considerationsadmin

Recently, I was told by a parent of a child on the autism spectrum that I am “not significantly enough affected by autism to be able to understand real autism” and therefore should stop speaking out about autism.

Some aspects of my personal history (Endow, 2009) that you may find interesting include:

Was nonverbal for some time
Had self-injurious behaviors
Lived in an institution for some years of my childhood
Lived in two different groups homes
Diagnosed with classic autism

I understand that as a parent of a child with significant needs you may look at me and look at your child and see no similarity. Please know that in the future of your child’s life autism will not look the same as it does today. Your child will grow and change over time just as all human beings do.

Some aspects of my life today (Endow, 2009) that you may find interesting include:

Married, had three children, divorced and raised them alone, one child with ASD diagnosis
Decided to get and obtained a master’s degree in social work in order to better support my children
Worked several years in a homeless shelter, developed and case managed a program designed to stabilize homeless shelter clients in their own apartments
Worked in the field of mental health for several years, limiting my practice to autism for the last two decades
Have authored several books, numerous blogs, been interviewed for TV shows, documentaries, have a DVD (with another in the works), maintain a website (www.judyendow.com) and speak internationally on autism related topics
Must spend time intentionally regulating sensory system in order to function in my daily life
Run my own business which enables me to combine work and flex calendar as needed for my autism neurology in order to allow me to do my work and earn enough income to support myself
Maintain a variety of work including consulting, writing, painting (see and purchase art prints and greeting cards at my website) and speaking by scheduling my work so as to avoid movement disturbances in my body (had a few episodes of catatonia in the past)
Do not speak on the phone for business. Only speak on the phone with a handful of people and after much practice that usually involves Skyping as a stepping-stone to phone only (without the ability to see the conversation partner)
Use a high degree of visual support (which I make myself) and routines (helps in reserving energy for novel situations) in my daily life
Am happy, have friends, am relatively healthy (a bit overweight), have a satisfying career and am just as autistic as I have always been

The practical response to the comment that I am “not significantly enough affected by autism to be able to understand real autism” and therefore should stop speaking out about autism is it is too late – much too late! I already have written several books that have sold around the world, have written numerous blogs and articles, have a DVD and am developing more content for my website that will include a video blogging feature. Also, I will not stop speaking on autism topics in my own country or in other countries. I will not be canceling already booked engagements and I will continue to book future speaking engagements. Even if I did stop, as I was encouraged, I cannot undo what is already out there in permanent form as books and such.

The logical response to the comment that I am “not significantly enough affected by autism to be able to understand real autism” and therefore should stop speaking out about autism is that these words do not make sense. Autism is a spectrum. There is no experience of autism that is more real than another experience of autism. All autism is real.

Furthermore, the idea that if a person can speak about their autism they are not autistic enough to weigh in on the subject is faulty logic. This sort of reasoning would mean that any autistic able to share about his/her autism really is not autistic in the first place – that autism means no ability to communicate. Not only is this untrue – it is a silencing attempt someone is trying to pass off by dressing it in a cloak of pseudo logic.

My friend Toshi Kinoshita summed this up nicely when he said, “That’s like saying Karl doesn’t like bacon enough to really love it and therefore should stop eating it. People can say the stupidest things.” (Personal Communication, 2015).

Just like Karl will not stop eating bacon, I will not be silenced. My experience of autism is not the same as anyone else’s experience of autism. It is my experience of autism. It is a valid experience of autism. When I speak and write about it many people tell me my words are helpful. Thus, I choose to continue writing, speaking, consulting and painting about autism – being who I am and doing what I do in this world.

BOOKS BY JUDY ENDOW

Endow, J. (2019).  Autistically Thriving: Reading Comprehension, Conversational Engagement, and Living a Self-Determined Life Based on Autistic Neurology. Lancaster, PA: Judy Endow.

Endow, J. (2012). Learning the Hidden Curriculum: The Odyssey of One Autistic Adult. Shawnee Mission, KS: AAPC Publishing.

Endow, J. (2006).  Making Lemonade: Hints for Autism’s Helpers. Cambridge, WI: CBR Press.

Endow, J. (2013).  Painted Words: Aspects of Autism Translated. Cambridge, WI: CBR Press.

Endow, J. (2009).  Paper Words: Discovering and Living With My Autism. Shawnee Mission, KS: AAPC Publishing.

Endow, J. (2009).  Outsmarting Explosive Behavior: A Visual System of Support and Intervention for Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorders. Shawnee Mission, KS: AAPC Publishing.

Endow, J. (2010).  Practical Solutions for Stabilizing Students With Classic Autism to Be Ready to Learn: Getting to Go. Shawnee Mission, KS: AAPC Publishing.

Myles, B. S., Endow, J., & Mayfield, M. (2013).  The Hidden Curriculum of Getting and Keeping a Job: Navigating the Social Landscape of Employment. Shawnee Mission, KS: AAPC Publishing.

Originally written for and published by Ollibean on January 4, 2015