Sophia Kapoor

 

I like to play hide and seek
With myself
As I gaze into the mirror
My dreams seem more real to me
Than the life I live
In dreams I can be me
Not pretend
To be perfect
No judgments
I close my eyes and open them again
And create a whole new world

 

Sophia loves this quote by the scholar and poet Rumi.
“Maybe you are searching among the branches for what only appears in the roots”… Rumi

Speaking Is Overrated by Jack Haynes

 

Communication is the cornerstone to autonomy and participation in life. It is a human right. It is the humane thing to listen and allow all to have a voice. I suppose the word choice of voice is more metaphorical for us nonspeakers but that doesn’t make our words any less valuable.

As a society, there is so much value placed on speech. It is used as proof of intelligence. It is a priority for many in this fast paced world. Rushing through stories with phrases like “long story short”, while the listener is too busy thinking of their response to truly listen to the speaker.

Spelling to communicate may be a long and arduous process but it forces those around us to slow down to hear our words. It allows us to be extremely intentional in our word choice and message. It allows us to communicate effectively without a  need to just fill the silence with unnecessary noise.

This is not to say that speech lacks value but it is overrated. It isn’t a requirement for communication or intelligence. Our words hold value even if they are spelled out one letter at a time. Hear us and value us even without the use of our mouths.

Living the Life I Want to Live

 By Pablo Hernandez

      My birthday is coming in November.  Finally, I will be 18. The adult world is almost at my door, and I want to be ready.  I will be getting some money and I want to open an ABLE account. Time to do things I want to do with my own money.

      I finish my high school this year too. This is an accomplishment that I am proud of when I think of all I have learned. Having my high school education was not for me, it seemed, when I was little. Learning was limited to preschool level, and I felt angry and frustrated. My mind is understanding life with more learning. 

      It hurts me to think I can't go to college,  but it is not going to be for me right now. Hungry to learn, I must get my learning food in other ways. My mom can help me work on college classes that are online and I can read about anything I want to know.

      What will life have to show me? I want to see my work help non-speakers in some way. I'll make this my new goal.

Great Hope by Joshua Greiner

I tread
Over memories
Perfectly
While people run
Getting nowhere
By themselves
I pity my friends
I'm lucky to have
My voice heard
Healing is coming
I'll be powerful force
For hope in my life
Hope is needed for autistics
Tiny me didn't have hope
Everyone needs mentors
I'm hoping to show
Real path to wonderful life
Good life doesn't mean easy
My life is hard sometimes
But it is good

Weathered Love by Aulton J. Grubbs

 

He was humble, never stopping to sigh

He was weathered by demand and

Powerful love none could deny

Each action was necessary and a devoted tie

Like the rain falling in desert sand

He was humble, never stopping to sigh

His kids; he held and carried them when lost love made them cry

His best friend, the one with the wedding band

Powerful love none could deny

Storms gather, he never wondered why,

He brushed off his blue jeans and leant a hand

He was humble, never stopping to sigh

Uncle Albert always said hi,

Like you were king of that land…

Powerful love none could deny

Powerful love none could deny

The humble man finally stopped to sigh

Siri by Kate Gogal

 Dear book club friends,

I am considering writing a fiction story. I am in the process of

creating my characters. Allow me to introduce you to Siri

(this is still a rough draft, and she may evolve).

Kate Gogal

Siri

Siri sits, listens, and watches everyone and everything. She is

alert and in tune with her environment. Siri is often

underestimated; people assume she is not intelligent because

she cannot speak with her mouth. They think she cannot

understand or hear. People act freely around Siri; their usual

filters are turned off. You would be amazed at the secrets

Siri knows.

Siri is an incredible girl. She is kind, intelligent and an amazing

human being. She can hear and see things the average person

cannot. Her hearing is supersonic, she can hear whispers that

are not meant to be heard and can even hear people’s

thoughts, if she focuses real hard.

Siri also sees colorful auras that outline people’s bodies.

Those auras are not visible to most people, but Siri can see

them. The auras show Siri who is good and kind, and who is

not. For example, those with purple auras are special and

always people Siri gravitates to. Sadly, not all people have

purple auras, some have green auras, and those people are

jealous. Siri can see people’s auras change colors depending on

situations. These are just a few of Siri’s remarkable skills

that she uses to navigate her world. Stay tuned to read more

about Siri, her friends and her adventures!

Brynn's Statement of Faith

 Confirmation Statement of Faith by Brynn F.

Hello. My name is Brynn Forstner and I am a 21 year old non-verbal autistic woman. My autism displays itself in erratic body movements, dysregulation of all my senses, and a complete inability to verbalize my thoughts and wishes.  My Bible verse for this statement of faith is John 9:3 "Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him." This may seem like an unusual verse for me to choose, but I am an unusual type of confirmand.  Through all of the very dark times in my life, God was with me and carried me through.  

For the first fourteen years of my life, nobody knew that I had a complete brain/body disconnect.  That is to say my brain wants my body to do something and my body does it's own thing. The term practitioners use is dyspraxia. My dyspraxia interferes with almost everything in life. The simplest tasks are nearly impossible unless I have the support of a trained person and the strength of God to carry me. His love is displayed whenever I master a new task. 

 The hardest part of being autistic is my inability to regulate my senses and sometimes my emotions. Can you imagine the sound of screetching in your head whenever you go to an unfamiliar place? Or the feeling of panic when you need to move your body to a new location? Do you know what it is like to want to chew off your own finger rather than wear a bandage? God has blessed me with autistic friends across the country and also the ability to problem solve these issues with them.  Together we all support each other and brainstorm solutions via Zoom. None of this would be doable if my mom hadn't learned the miracle that makes it possible for me to write this statement.

It was assumed I was intellectually disabled because of my erratic body movements and inability to produce meaningful vocalizations. I was completely frustrated, depressed, and wanted to give up. For years I prayed for a miracle and at age fourteen the miracle happened. My mom went to a R.P.M. (Rapid Prompting Method) workshop and learned I was intellectually intact even though I appeared intellectually disabled.  She learned how to teach me age appropriate material and, most importantly, how to communicate using a letterboard. Can you imagine the hope God gifted me that day? The God of creation and the heaven and the earth answered my prayers and showed me I have a purpose on this earth. His love carried me through the darkest days so I could glorify His name and show others His love. 

God has given me the erratic body and the intelligent mind to share His good news and the beauty of His plan for me. Displayed in my autism are His works, His love, and His perfect plan for my life. Because of His miracle that allows me to share my faith with everyone, using a letterboard, my life has purpose and meaning. I am thankful for God's blessings on my life. Thank you for your time and this opportunity to share my statement of faith.