On the ‘Blending with Autism’ Facebook page and blog, Janet Amorello writes about daily life with Sam, her 18-year old autistic son. Sam has challenges with communication, yet finds unique and surprising ways to create meaningful language. He also has a love of drawing that speaks to his vibrant perspective on the world.
I spoke with Janet about words, art and the different ways Sam has shaped her views on the autism spectrum. (All images below are from the ‘Blending with Autism’ Facebook page.)
Allison Behymer’s two youngest children are on the autism spectrum. Her daughter Charlee is age seven, her son Liam is age six; both were diagnosed with autism at the age of two. The pediatrician who provided the diagnosis told Allison that her children would remain non-verbal throughout their life and would never have the ability to walk or care for themselves and would not, therefore, be “viable humans”.