OK, I’m autistic, but what do I feel are some of the most important things society needs to know about, wonder about and maybe even be moved to do something about? Do I care about the world? About things beyond the world of autism?
Well, my husband Chris has just added a new links section to my website http://www.donnawilliams.net called ‘important things’. Go have a look.
… Donna Williams *)
Donna Williams is an Australian born adult with autism who was assessed as psychotic at the age of 2 in 1965, labelled disturbed in the 1970s and diagnosed as autistic in her 20s in 1991.
She acquired functional speech in late childhood and went on to become a qualified teacher with an honors degree in Sociology and a degree in Linguistics. She is the author of two international bestselling autobiographies and has 10 published books including 4 text books widely used in autism education and two books of poetry and prose.
As a screenwriter, she wrote the screenplay to “Nobody Nowhere”, the first book in her 4 book autobiographical series. That screenplay is currently under option to become a Hollywood film. She is an professional artist, singer-songwriter and published poet as well as a world renowned public speaker on autism now living with her husband in Australia. In her presentations she draws not only on her own experiences but on international experience as a professional autism consultant since 1996.
Donna’s is a speaker in demand around the world due to her unique perspective and ability to share her feelings and experiences on a very personal level. More information about her and her life’s work can be found on her website at http://www.donnawilliams.net .
Hi Donna,
I too care about things beyond the world of autism. It is also known that some persons on the autism spectrum have a high sense of morality. For example, they may be concerned about rising sea levels or proprietary file formats.
I’m one of them, with my main concerns being decent public transport, environmental issues and open source software (proud Firefox user for two years). I consider myself as a libertarian left green (in England this is ‘Old Labour’, or ‘Democrat’ in America).
I see nothing wrong with having such a links section, so long as they are relevant to yourself and the site (of which they are). My choice of links on my own site tend to reflect interests and act as a ‘further reading’ section.
Bye for now,
Stuart Vallantine,
(Fellow dreamer and traveller).
Yes, climate change is our most essential issue right now.
But tell that to coal-buring Australia which fears that wind farms will spoil our views, but we do have a government which is a lapdog to a sociopath so where our sanity as voters is, I don’t know.
Tell that to China which sees economic boom as far more important and is purchasing more kitsch than any household needs and will surely end up filling landfill sites in that treadmill of throwaway consumerism called fashion.
Tell that to the US with its inalienable right to gas guzzling trips to the local shops and the collection of obese children who have forgotten that legs are for a walk home from school.
But its all worth it huh?
… Donna Williams
(outspoken silly person with moments of depth)
Yikes! It’s just like that in Britain. In the UK, the NIMBY [Not In My Backyard] brigade seems to be the most vociferous opposition towards wind energy (I actually like seeing the windmills, and took great pleasure seeing the ones in Great Yarmouth last week – and took a photo of them). It is worth noting that most of the UK’s coal is imported from Australia because over 20 years ago, the then Conservative government ruined a mining industry, with the effects on its communities still felt today.
I too disagree with the idea of gas guzzling trips to the local shops or schools. In my area, my biggest irritation is the school run, where parents, feared of their child’s road safety drive their children to school – even over short distances. For most of my years in compulsory education I always walked to school, and even walked to my local college in later years (because it was quicker than going by bus).
How do children learn the rules of basic road safety if they are driven everywhere? How do they know how to cross the roads safely, at crossings or quiet streets? How do they know how to behave or work out the ticketing systems on public transport?
The school run has driven me away from getting the bus to work, resulting in me ‘rekindling’ my lost love of the railways (rush hour trains; dearer though less traffic prone and usually quicker).
Stuart Vallantine
(The Environmentally Friendly Travelling Poet)
by sociopath, whom do you mean? The idiot who is president of the country you will be visiting soon?
When kids get that obese, being driven becomes a bit of a necessity. Especially in this awful heat we are experiencing right now….
oh, and about autism speaks…..IMHO they’re a heap of rubbish mostly, because all they do is report scary statistics and ask for money for a cure for autism. I sure as heck don’t want to be cured. I like me the way I am. And you participating in the walk would be a conflict of interest why? You can tell by that, it’s run by non-auties who for all we know might not know much about it, or much positive stuff about it. To people here in america its all about how able someone is. and this ability….is determined by society in a big way. If you want to be considered very able and therefore capable of having a good job and stuff, you’d better not talk about needing quiet space and other things that auties find comforting.
But that’s just me….
AI
As someone who lived with significant gut/immune disorders and mood, anxiety and compulsive disorders that pushed me towards risk of accidental death or suicide, I’m not ‘pro cure’ (nor ‘anti-cure’) because the issues are far more complex than that simple division.
I think anyone with serious health or mental health issues as an integral part of THEIR autism should have a right to SAFE treatments which WORK. We can’t arrive at such treatments for THESE people unless there is research.
Research means funding, but also hearing new and innovative perspectives based on wide experience with a DIVERSITY of people on the spectrum.
IF such treatments resulting in less brain starvation, less toxicity issues disturbing brain chemistry related to impulse control, mood, anxiety and attention span, then this can mean greater independence and opportunity and health for THOSE people and none of us would be against that.
If this happened to THOSE people, likely they would appear to have a lesser degree of their autism.
NONE OF THIS HAS ANY DIRECT REFLECTION ON THOSE ALSO ON THE SPECTRUM WHO DON’T HAVE THESE SEVERE HEALTH ISSUES AT THIS LEVEL OF IMPAIRMENT.
Because of this, the culturalists and the curists don’t HAVE TO war, but yes, I organisations that see humans as ONLY conditions or which limit the flow of information to the public yet claim to represent that public have become too machine like and need to re-connect to humanity they claim to care about.
🙂 Donna Williams *)
http://www.donnawilliams.net
Donna,
I guess you could consider me as a raindrop in the flood of people who contact you after reading your books etc. I can relate to many of the issues you raised ,such as having had an unfortunate financial reaction to a DID spouse ., but the main reason I am contacting you relates to the realm of the spiriitual . If you check out my website above , you will see that I am interested in trying to obtain accounts of dreams in which an angelic figure( s) appeared for a book I am currently organizing wirh Janis Baylis. I know from personal experience with my DID wife that there can be angelic alters or entities involved and I am trying to wrestle from my background as a clinical psychologist and parapsychologist with how to conceptualize the energetic pattern that seems to be associated with the multi level appearance of angels and why they seem to particularly seek out DID and autistic folks .
I would love to discuss this at greater length on the phone if you were willing when you make your upcoming trip to the US. [I have unlimited phone minutes at 434 296 8476 ]or if you were willing to share by email a dream in which angelic energy is featured you would receive bonus karmic ‘ Brownie” points that could be redeemed for your next reincarnation
Wild,
a parapsychologist. Where we you folks when I was busy being ‘haunted’ 😉
Did you read Autism And Sensing; The Unlost Instinct?
In all I wrote 9 books. They’re all on http://www.donnawilliams.net
I have certainly journied those fine lines between world. Perceptual disorders, information processing issues and bipolar all add to the color of spiritual experiences as much as they dramatically alter functioning too.
As for dreams and angels, remember that those with severe visual perceptual disorders may not dream VISUALLY in the ways you might be looking for. Perhaps the word for them is something that feels angelic rather than the appearance of angels… read my article on modes of thought and perhaps the sensory perceptual stuff in Autism; An Inside Out Approach or The Jumbled Jigsaw.
DID is a colorful space for sure and DID with autism is probably the space of many a good Shaman. Shame society did Shamans out of a job now people turn to gossip magazines and contrived reality shows for a spiritual fix. Ha… modernity.
Always remember that the word APPEARANCE is a visual word. Live in my world and Angelic is about pattern, theme, feel and appearance is only an act of the mind that happens in those with a long history of intact visual perception and its corresponding cohesive processing.
I’ll say hi to the wisps for you 😉
‘an unfortunate financia reaction’… wow… fabulous quote.
Nice of you to drop by Bob.
🙂 Donna *)