Inclusion and more

When I was in kindergarten I started to wonder if I had autism since I was not interacting with my peers, was having a tough time adjusting to change and had a hard time accepting criticism. Because I "self-diagnosed" myself with autism, I did not know who to talk to.  I was officially diagnosed with autism when I was 15 years old and that diagnosis was challenging because my parents and I did not know who to turn to.   While shortly after that we heard of the Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center from Mrs. Denise Resnik, whose son Matt went to Chaparral High School with me.  Once we heard of SARRC, I was kind of nervous but I started to realize that my life was going to change.  I enrolled in many programs and classes through SARRC including a class about budgeting and needs vs wants through which I learned the difference between what a want is and what a need is.   I also participated in their Autism CommunityWorks program at the Civic Center Library...

I moved out my parents house recently but I honestly never thought I'd would say it feels so great to be independent.  Below are five things I have learned so far:  1. I am driven to achieve my full potential Since I moved out of my parents house, I have discovered how driven I am to succeed and thrive in new surroundings. Whether it'd be trying to achieve greatness in classes at Gateway Community College by keeping good grades or trying to challenge myself to make a tough dish for a cooking probe, I am learning that I have become more driven than ever to prove that I can do anything that I set my mind to.  2. I am an excellent self-advocate  In just a few weeks of living on my own, I have been able to become an even better self-advocate than I was growing up. Whether it'd be advocating for myself in class at Gateway when I need help from the teacher or advocating for myself by asking staff members questions or expressing my concerns wh...

Most of you probably know but October happens to be National Disability Employment Awareness Month or NDEAM for short. This month was created to promote awareness about the abilities of people with disabilities and this year the theme is Inclusion Works.  As you probably know, I work at Christ Lutheran School in Phoenix, Arizona and on the job I get to interact with the preschool students. They all adore me and get excited to see me. Since last year, Christ Lutheran School has gone above and beyond to include me in school events, in yearbook group pictures and in class parties. All of the teachers, parents and students who go to school at Christ Lutheran School say hi to me on campus.  I have been able to speak to many different grades about disability awareness and last year I helped bring Light it Up Blue to Christ Lutheran School.  I have come such a long way since last year which was my first year at Christ Lutheran School.  When I started last year I had a j...

As you might know, I recently moved into my first apartment at the First Place Transition Academy,  operated by Phoenix-based Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center. I thought I'd share some tips for college students with and without disabilities:  1. Be on time to class Being punctual to class is every teachers dream. Since I started at First Place, I have really taken pride in being on time to classes and programming taught by SARRC staff members. Teachers want students to be in their seats on time so they can maximize learning time. In the case of First Place students, we are graded for punctuality and expected to tell our teachers if we are going to be late to classes at Gateway Community College!  2. Study hard for tests Whether it is midterms or final exams, I'd recommend studying hard for tests and forming a study group. If you have roommates or in our case at First Place, you have a bunch of there students who are living with you, tap your resources a...