I got this a question about the nature of ‘Autism Spectrum Disorder’. I was asked
In your opinion is ASD a learning disability, a neurological
condition or a mental health issue…or something entirely unique perhaps?
Here was my answer…. Read the rest of this entry »
Someone wrote to me about the differences between Exposure Anxiety (EA, as written about in the book, Exposure Anxiety; The Invisible Cage ) and Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA). Here are my reflections on those differences: Read the rest of this entry »
Each month I send out a challenge for people to send me a 1-2 word topic they’d like me to write a poem to and I must write all the poems in the challenge within 48 hours. Read the rest of this entry »
Welcome to a new feature: recipe of the month. Read the rest of this entry »
I am seriously telling people in drought stricken suburbs, cities and towns to collect any large rubbish bins or industrial size builder’s tubs and place them around your back garden. Even put them under your rain pipes. Read the rest of this entry »
Chris Draper, a scientific researcher with the Born Free Foundation contacted me about a new ‘therapy’ ready to cash in on the tail of that equally hot money spinner in the ever expanding autism marketplace, dolphin therapy. Read the rest of this entry »
 There was weird case where a wife got killed after falling on upturned knife in a cutlery basket as she was emptying out the dishwasher with her husband. Yeah, sure, say most of us… he sure got away with a tall story there… how the hell could someone be that unlucky and how coincidental that he was right there when it happened. Well, I experienced my own version. Read the rest of this entry »
OK, so you buy the toothpaste in it’s fancy cardboard box and bring it home and first thing you do is throw that dyed, bleached, often not even recycled cardboard into the rubbish bin, or hopefully at least the recycle bin. You do it, I do it, and gazillions of households world wide do it ALL THE TIME. Read the rest of this entry »
An exciting art exhibition is bringing together a collection of Australia’s best known and respected graffiti writers in one show in Melbourne’s highly cosmopolitan Collingwood arts district. I spoke to the owner of Lindberg Contemporary Gallery, David Moulday, about the show. Read the rest of this entry »
Our local postmasters are wonderfully autie friendly. However I might get away with being meaning deaf, meaning blind, mono tracked, lacking simultaneous processing of self and other and tumbling pretty much what’s left, these people handle it well with everything from a good natured ‘chuckle with’ to turning a blind eye… CONSTANTLY. 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 .