Got a child, teen or adult on the autism spectrum who has had a birthday party where you bought everything, sent out invites, even waited hopefully for people to arrive, but nobody showed up? Here’s some alternatives: Read the rest of this entry »

We recently ousted a die hard monarchist PM who reinstated knights and dames, who swooned over British royalty, head patted Indigenous children in photo opportunities, paid lip service to multiculturalism, posed continually in his budgie smugglers and life saver cap, mooned over the Anzac myth, and effused continually of ‘our way of life’ whilst working constantly on building Xenophobia and our ‘right to bigotry’. But what does it mean to ‘be Australian?’ According to whom? And which type of Australian are you? Read the rest of this entry »

Whether it is resentment, self pity, self hatred, envy, controlling, fixation, shame, sadness, fear, outrage, self consciousness, regret, grief, anxiety, self righteousness, grandiosity and bravado, you CAN give yourself permission to LET IT GO Read the rest of this entry »

My little brother Johnny Duel adored me the way my paternal grandparents had… which I knew because they would all light up when they saw me, this was how I knew I brought joy to these people Read the rest of this entry »

If you are straight and think Gay Marriage is going to affect you, you’re right… Read the rest of this entry »

I’ve got plenty of bogan rellies… Read the rest of this entry »

In response to the racists booing of Swan’s player, Adam Goodes, I would love to see the entire Sydney Swans respond in support of Adam with a flash mob style spear dance as a show of solidarity and if I dream even further, to see the entire AFL perform this in solidarity and recognition of the rich and ancient history of manhood in this country…. to let this be a pivotal moment that changes the racist climate of this country. If all NZers can celebrate the Haka, then Aussie footballers can join together, indigenous and non indigenous, in the spear dance to show these racists what real Australia could be and leave them wondering which team they wish to be on… racist losers or part of Australia with a rich cultural heritage we can all acknowledge, learn, share in and celebrate together. . The racist’s booing Adam Goodes are ignorant sychophants following each other’s pitiable lead to nowhere. Perhaps they could listen to something other than their infantile booing and actually learn something of their own place in Australian history.

Donna Williams, BA Hons, Dip Ed.
Author, artist,and presenter.
http://www.donnawilliams.net

I acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the Traditional Owners of this country throughout Australia, and their connection to land and community.

I love this… and with autism its similar… we are diverse, we are people with personhood and autism is part of that but whilst some feel it DEFINES them in their entirety, others do not, not because they are in denial or ashamed of their autism, but because their autism is not the sole source of everything they think, feel, do or achieve. Read the rest of this entry »

My paternal grandparents, who were essentially ‘homeless people’, lived in a shed in our backyard until I was 4 and a half years old when I lost them both. Their shed had only a high frosted vent window, virtually no natural light. The walls were brown unpainted masonite, the floor was cement with lino over it and a thin rug. Read the rest of this entry »

Mental health issues effecting 70% on the spectrum… a far cry from the old days where if you had any mood, anxiety, compulsive, dissociative, attachment, adjustment, emotional or behavioural, personality or identity disorders or psychosis you were trolled with you ‘couldn’t possibly ALSO be autistic’. Alternatively people without functional communication who also have mental health issues traditionally have had their mental health issues almost as standard fobbed off as ‘part of their autism’. Read the rest of this entry »