This week, I released my new book, Weirdos Like Me. It’s a collection of art, poetry and surrealism. And, so, dedicated to all of you living with snow up to your eyeballs, here’s one of the works from the book, entitled SNOW.
SNOW
Confetti soft, it fell, calling me, the girl from a land of sun.
From the window it took my heart.
My feet ran me down the stairs.
I turned, music box dancer in a world of falling sky
And I knew snow. Read the rest of this entry »
Some people can voluntarily open the Eustachian tubes in their ears. This causes a clicking or popping sound.  Those who can’t do this suffer from ear pressure on aeroplanes but those who can do it may suffer from something else, especially if they also have OCD and perhaps even more so if they suffered from chronic ear infections throughout childhood. Why? Read the rest of this entry »
In childhood I was called Dolly Burger by my mother’s side, Miss Polly by my father. I’d rather have been Miss Polly even if I was sick, sick, sick too often than be anyone’s doll. I didn’t like doll’s, those staring, plastic almost demonic representations of a one-size-fits all normality or perfection. I never identified with being Doll-y or anyone’s doll. When my mother told me I was hers, her doll, I felt the foundations of my feminist rejection of conformist expectations of ‘what a girl should be’. I liked the ballet dress with its fluttering leafy skirt, its sheeny pink sating and mother of pearl beading catching rainbows in the lights. But the doll thing… Read the rest of this entry »
We’ve always considered Donna and The Aspinauts to be diversity friendly but what does it mean to be a disability friendly band? Is it about having people with disabilities in the band? Is it about making it easy for those with disabilities to attend your gigs and shows? Is it about having a natural sense of equality with and respect for those with disabilities? Is it about having a strong presence in the wider disability community? Read the rest of this entry »
CD Baby are donating $1 to for every album sold.
Dear Donna,The earthquake and its aftermath in Haiti have touched all of our lives. Many in the CD Baby family have already contributed as individuals, but we wanted to do more to help the victims of the horrible earthquake tragedy. By selling your music on CD Baby, you can help raise funds towards those affected by the disaster. Read the rest of this entry »
The rock musical, Footsteps of a Nobody, next goes to Doncaster Playhouse in Doncaster on Saturday 20th Jan. We’re also planning on a show in April to support international Autism Month. For information about the show visit www.aspinauts.com .
Donna Williams, Dip Ed, BA Hons.
Author, artist, singer-songwriter, screenwriter.
Autism consultant and public speaker.
http://www.myspace.com/nobodynowherethefilm
http://www.donnawilliams.net
http://www.aspinauts.com
It’s amazing how humble you get after 6 antibiotics have failed you and you’ve almost drowned in your own lung muck, had your infected throat too painful to swallow, lost all your energy so you’re walking like a 95 year old (and are only 46) and feel your biggest exercise of the day was breathing as the weight falls off what’s left of your skinny self. I remember the shrink who would always say, ‘one day you’ll look back and laugh’.  And I feel so happy to be off Bactrim, yet I can’t help but be grateful to that demon drug. Read the rest of this entry »
Hi Folks,
I’ve got 2 pay per view lectures up on Autism Hangout you might find of interest. Read the rest of this entry »
Over on my facebook page someone asked …“If you had to explain what is autism in simple terms to a person who knew nothing about it what would you say? “
It was a great question and putting autism in simple terms… well that’s so hard because the word is misused for SO MUCH. For example among the conditions I identified in The Jumbled Jigsaw as part of an autism ‘fruit salad’ were… Read the rest of this entry »
The strangest thing happened on my way to pneumonia… Read the rest of this entry »
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 .