Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD) used to be associated with orphans in Romanian orphanages, the battered, neglected and abused children of some disturbed or addict mothers or children given up for adoption. But what if, like autism, RAD is actually a spectrum? Today, the causes of RAD are far more diverse Read the rest of this entry »
Imagine a world where television programs showed real diversity. A world where ‘normality’ on every level had a multitude of faces, not one, where a range of cultures, perceptions, experiences, looks and interests were represented and you went away feeling informed, inspired but also included and an equal and respected part of publicly represented social diversity. Read the rest of this entry »
I am speaking in August in New Hampshire and found one of my co-presenters is Jamie Burke so looked him up. I so enjoyed reading of Jamie’s progression from facilitated, typed communication into functional, interactive speech, that I really felt compelled to share it Read the rest of this entry »
We’re looking after a tawny frogmouth (yes, looks like a Furby so now he’s called Furby and, no, he is NOT an owl, they are related to Nightjars, not owls) this Christmas after it fell from a nest and was hand raised by my friend. The rescue services she called said they had too many so with the arrival of Furby we had to learn fast. Read the rest of this entry »
Its summer here in Australia in December. It’s fire season, people run about in shorts and T shirts and suburbia is yet again putting snowman illuminations, velvet and fur clad Santas, designer Christmas trees with fake spray snow, ordering Turkey and cranberry sauce and Read the rest of this entry »
Autism expert Bernard Rimland had time for people. And he made time for me. Read the rest of this entry »
I’m a spiritual atheist which means I care about the soul, rejoice in the diversity of the natural and human worlds, but don’t take comfort in projecting a father or mother figure or supreme consciousness onto all things. Even if I were in my last moments Read the rest of this entry »
This year I met the amazing Janette Geri.
She is a wild self-owning woman with a 100 year old soul, the energy of a garden pixie and the ‘can do’ resolve of a born optimist. Read the rest of this entry »
This morning I ran a bath. I then announced to my husband Chris that I could now run baths.
I’m 43.
I’ve been trying to run baths for 28 years. Read the rest of this entry »
So maybe you live under a rock and don’t know much about this Global Warming thing or maybe you’re so transfixed by politicians hypnotising you with threats of terrorism to think about the real far bigger threat to us all. 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 .