Inclusion and more

Dear myself  When you first heard the word autism, almost 23 years ago, it was a hard reality to face. You did not know what would happen. Kindergarten was a challenge for you followed by middle school. Then came high school. High School was a fun filled five years for you. You met many new friends and were often a celebrity at school.   Inclusion became your focus in high school. You want everyone to be included disability or not. The video of you speaking during graduation at Chaparral has been shared with your family, friends and fellow SARRC staff members.  Fast forward to today February 12, 2017, you are 23 years old you. You are living at 29 Palms and have met many new friends. You do your own laundry, take the bus, have employment meetings with your job coach from SARRC,  you go grocery shopping on your own and juggle two jobs.  One at Christ Lutheran School and one at Omni Bioceutical Innovations.  You like being busy so working two jobs is ideal...

1. Discover similarities When I first met my boyfriend, Adam we discovered we shared many similarities. We love God, love Best Buddies, love SARRC and enjoy listening to Country music.  Another similarity is our love for the Arizona Diamondbacks baseball team. This year we'll go to many Diamondbacks games at Chase Field. 2. "Be there for each other" when your relationship gets strong  For me my boyfriend Adam is the first boyfriend who I want to call if I have a good day or a bad day or accomplish something.  Like most couples, Adam and I are there for each other though the good and bad. He's there for me when I need prayer, advice or congratulations.  3. Entrust those in your family or friend group who are in strong "dating"  or "marriage" relationships" for advice For me my sister Molly who is dating her boyfriend David is a good source of advice. Molly has good advice for me as I continue to date...

As I continue to post regular blogs about inclusive workplaces, communities and people who promote inclusion. I thought I'd share why inclusion is super valuable:  Inclusion is defined as the  the action or state of including or of being included within a group or structure! For people with disabilities like autism, inclusion is often a  challenge to find. They are often excluded from fun events like birthday parties, opportunities to hang with friends or equal employment opportunities.   When I was first diagnosed with autism, I was often excluded from fun activities with my peers which left me ofter wondering if I'd have friends. Friendship was something I wanted simply so I could have a shoulder to lean on in a hard time.  I remember when I started at Chaparral High School and I had no friends. I only wanted one friend. All that changed when I found out about Best Buddies and ...