On May 21st, for one night only Donna Williams and The Aspinauts will perform the rock musical Footsteps of a Nobody 7-8pm, followed by an interactive question-answer forum with the audience, Walking In Autistic Shoes, from 8-8.30pm at the Wendouree Centre For Performing Arts. Proudly sponsored by Ballarat Autism Network as part of World Autism Awareness Month. Read the rest of this entry »
I was approached by a French psychologist, Dr Luc-Laurent Salvador, who asked me about bonding, coloured spots and reflection. Here’s our discussion: Read the rest of this entry »
Once upon a time a 9 year old girl had been stimming in the garden. Thirty feet away, an excited black curly haired retriever/kelpie cross bounded about happily, looking like a cheery harmless grizzly bear. The dog had no name for it was only visiting. It belonged a man who’d gone on holiday and was being looked after in respite care. But the 9 year old didn’t care, for anything friendly was a friend. Read the rest of this entry »
As the author of 10 published books, an international public speaker and professional autism consultant I’m best known in the autism world. But I have a 
wide following in the D.I.D (Dissociative Identity Disorder) and MPD populations too. Read the rest of this entry »
Do we all have multiple selves? Is this the same as Multiple Personality Disorder or can we suddenly find we have outgrown a self or find an unknown one has finally broken through to consciousness, ready to turn our present life on its head? To know what selves are we must define what they are not. Read the rest of this entry »
Kate Boundy is a graduate student from Florida Atlantic University doing a dissertation on women and the neurodiversity movement. I was one of her interviewees. Here’s our interview:  Read the rest of this entry »
Today I went to the Rime Institute in Tecoma. It’s a marvelous house in suburbia transformed into a Buddhist centre practicing Tibetan Buddhism. If you’ve ever wanted to try out various forms of meditation or learn more about Buddhist spirituality of philosophy this is such a gentle, low key place with a lovely vibe.
Wondering how to stop thinking, doing, judging and learn how to be, or how to strengthen the ability to be to the point it doesn’t cause boredom, agitation or withdrawal symptoms from Facebook or Nintendo? Then I recommend this place.
It’s donation basis is highly affordable. You can attend sessions on an ad-hoc basis and see if its for you. The Buddhists at the centre are real people, earthy, warm, approachable with none of that floating on clouds false ‘new agey’ thing. Tibetan Buddhism is steeped in rich history thousands of years old. This is real, tangible spirituality at your own pace (note, I said spirituality, not religion) and, no, you don’t have to be a vegetarian nor religious to try it out. Even if you just go along for a new cultural experience, it’s a great atmosphere and as close as you’ll get to the feel of a Buddhist temple in the foothills of Dandenong Ranges (it’s also walking distance from Tecoma station if you want to leave the car at home).
When I was a homeless girl
I had yellow teeth with holes,
Big enough to fall through.
Twenty six years of antibiotics
written on my enamel. Read the rest of this entry »
In 2008 The Aspinauts and I were gathered in a living room improvising with me doing beat poetry as the guys jammed on guitars, drums, keyboards. It became an anti war protest song, Ladies and Gentlemen. Luckily, someone hit the record button so when Paul joined us as drummer in 2009 we began to rehearse the song. It became a powerful, almost Floydian stand out piece of sound art and made it onto the debut album, Broken Biscuit in 2010.
Here’s the video clip made by Oz Thomas, a colorful human and a wonderful poet in his own right.
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 .
