Interview with Cale from “Spectrum Siblings”

“Spectrum Siblings”

http://frogger11758.wordpress.com

I started blogging back in November of 2008, when I realized there was a dirth of information written specifically for parents by individuals with autism, as well as by siblings of individuals with special needs (my brother has autism among other differences). The more I started writing and connecting with other individuals on the internet, the more I loved the chance to share my thoughts and learn others’ takes on it. Once I began working part-time with autistic children, it became a great way for me to ask questions and get advice for dealing with particular needs from individuals who have been there.

I try to keep the blog multiply-based. I write plenty about my own struggles with some of the difficulties of having autism, and I look at the nature of the dynamic between two siblings on the spectrum. I write a decent amount about the boys I work with in therapeutic babysitting (two of whom are nonverbal, and one of whom is hyperlexic, all of whom are a delight). I also write book reviews, talk shop, and try to pry apart some misconceptions and replace them with more accurate information.

I have 80+ blogs in my blog roll, but three of my absolute favorites are:

Chewing the Fat by a physically disabled activist who gives talks around the country empowering individuals with disabilities of various sorts.

Aspie Teacher written by a female friend on the spectrum who offers advice for adult autistics.

Hyperlexicon written by the mother of an adorable 6-year old with Hyperlexia/autism.

I love to chat with visitors through comments, or email, or Twitter In fact it is where I get some of my best ideas from.

I tend to spend 2-3 hours per day reading, writing, and Twitterring. On breaks from school, this can increase or decrease dramatically.

The first blog I ever read was Praying for Parker. I found it one night searching the internet for information about Down Syndrome, spent about two hours on the site, found the link to Five Minutes for Special Needs, and from then on I was hooked. By the next day I had 20 or so blogs in my reader.

So many things inspire me.
Seeing people accomplish things others said they could never do.
Watching people in the majority stand up for minority communities simply because they value all individuals as people and therefore deserving of equal rights.
Knowing that my brother who has an alphabet soup of diagnoses is going to walk across the stage for his bachelor’s degree in june.
Watching a child sign unprompted for the first time.
Seeing the sunrise over the mountains in my town and then watching the sun set with the promise it will rise again tomorrow.