There have been a number of Autistic people who through their writing or by meeting them have greatly influenced my thinking and radically changed how I view autism. Through their writing and/or our direct interactions I began to question everything I thought I knew. I began to see that so much of the information I’d been given was false. It was because of these people that I have a level of understanding about the problems with *functioning labels, the problematic issues surrounding *segregating Autistic children from other non Autistic children not only in the classroom, but in life. I have a better understanding about how *important the words used to describe autism and Autistic people can do tremendous damage or, conversely shift the conversation to one of better understanding and progress.
*I have put related posts below for each of these topics.
All of this brings me to Ibby.
Ibby was/is someone who radically changed my thinking, and continues to change how I think about autism and my daughter. I have written about Ibby before ‘here‘ and ‘here‘. We met at a disabilities conference not quite a year ago, where she was presenting. Ib has changed my life. I don’t know how else to describe someone who is not only a close friend, but who has patiently advised me, explained things that I didn’t understand, didn’t judge me, never shamed me, but instead was kind, loving, compassionate and very, very patient with me. For those of you not familiar with Ibby, I hope you’ll go to her blog and read her writing. If there is one thing I would like to see change regarding autism”awareness”, it is that the public become familiar with Autistic people like Ibby, who are tirelessly speaking out and patiently trying to bridge the massive gap between public perception surrounding autism and Autistic people, and reality.
There are a number of people who have been crucial in influencing me, Ibby is one of them.
Related topics
- I Think I Finally Understand…
- Wretches and Jabberers – Defying Labels
- Sleepovers and the Importance of Inclusion
- Henry Makes Waves
- Autistic Role Models and Mentoring
- Autism Assumptions and Misperceptions
Emma's Hope Book 
Thank you for ‘introducing’ me to these wonderful people. I’m reading (and absolutely enjoying) Barb’s book and I just visited Ibby’s site! Great stuff.
So glad Renee!
And it is you who provide such energy, such passion and clarity that the message is carried so much further into the minds and lives of ‘neurotypicals’ and ‘walkie talkies’ that we can learn and then, listen. This is the part of your invaluable advocacy that changes the perception, the paradigm and the world. You are the beacon and the bridge.
For all of your missteps and triumphs.. Thank you for being who your are.
((((Jesse)))). Working on the cloning machine, should have finished soon. Prepare move to NYC. I need the original you here, your clone can stay in Co. 😉
Ariane is completely awesome and lovely. ❤ Thanks for being you. PS my mom saw this before I did and you so totally made her day. That is extra good karma, making someone's mom's day. That makes you the polar opposite of them what shall remain nameless, you know. 😉
Aw… Ib. Love that! Hi Ibby’s Mom! *Waves
I just read some of Ibby’s stuff and it is great. Thanks for sharing all this great info and resources. I am passing them along and they are hlpeing others.
So glad! 😀
I’m glad you found someone like Ibby to advise you I hope to be someone’s Ibby one day. I will check out Ibby’s blog ASAP.
Nisha – it is a worthy goal indeed!
It seems to me that mothers of people with Aspergers are much more elequont about it than people who write about their own experiences such as myself and make better blogs.
For the rest of the month I will be choosing an Autistic person who has greatly influenced me, whether it is through their blog, books, a documentary they’ve been the focus of or our personal friendship or any combination of these. That’s a lot of people and the majority of them have blogs that are so beautifully written they take my breath away… AND changed how I thought and spoke of Autistic people. Without their voices I would be stuck in a very negative and fearful place indeed.
It is good that you have such strong influences in the Autism community. I am twenty years old and Autistic and I know my mother sought out a lot of similar resources when I was diagnosed at the age of 6 – I know she learned a lot from them as well. I just wanted to say how inspirational it is that you see autism so positively and that you are willing to share so much of yourself. Emma is very lucky to have you as a mom.
Aw… Heather… thank you so much. That’s really, really kind of you to say. 🙂