Meeting the NeuroNav team
So great to meet the NeuroNav team in person finally. I had done an internship with them remotely last year. neuronav.org
Building a Bridge to the Future
I was keynote speaker at Missouri State 2021 Transition Training Institute
https://dese.mo.gov/special-education/effective-practices/postsecondary-transition
https://www.eventsquid.com/event.cfm?id=12567
List of all Speakers: https://www.eventsquid.com/event.cfm?id=12567
Social Media Blanket
Got this blanket and cup embossed with my twitter handle after the Twitter Voices event.
Kinda cool.
Tilden National Park
Scenic hike with fellow Calbear David Teplitz this morning.
Beautiful view of the Bay, the mountains and reservoirs.
Artwork of Albany Bulb
You always come across interesting artwork at Albany Bulb.
and of course the seagull perched on the rock.
Cherry Picking
4+ lbs of ripe juicy cherries to eat over next few days
Cherry picking this morning with buddy Siddhu.
Autism and Empathy
As I was doing the Literature Review for my Haas Scholars Research, I came upon this research paper from Oxford University.
https://journals.sagepub.com/
I'm being quoted in this paper. OMG. totally Unexpected and too cool.
A Day in the Life
Interview for the Geek Club Books
Interview by Jenny Bristol
Illustration by Rebecca Burgess
Quotes from the Article
What advice would you give to a young or teenage autistic person to help them live their best life, or what advice would you give an autistic adult to help them feel supported in their continuing journey?No one is an expert on you. No one knows enough about autism to be an expert. Even the “experts” are still learning. So no one gets to have final say on what your limitations, capabilities, & needs are.
What advice would you give parents of autistic kids about the best ways to support their kids in becoming their best selves? What advice from the so-called “experts” do you think parents should ignore? How can parents best support their non-speaking or minimally-speaking children?
Communication must extend beyond just basic wants. Basic wants are just survival. The next step up are needs around school/vocational/skills/interests which are necessary for building self-confidence and getting ahead. But real quality of life is the ability to express thoughts and opinions. So aim for that in communication—irrespective of the communication methodology used and whether it’s via speaking or via AAC.
On the “experts” part, I would repeat the advice to autistics above.
What are some aspects of advocacy work that you find especially fulfilling?
It is the opportunity, that dream, to make a contribution, even if it’s a pebble, that will lend to that huge ripple of change.
How can readers learn more about the experiences of non-speaking or minimally-speaking autistic people? Are there resources you’d like to point people to, or people online that you recommend following?
Just reading or following what a few of us are writing is not enough. Thought has to translate into action on the ground. Start by interacting with nonspeakers. There will be many in your neighborhood who are getting absolutely ignored or out of sight, tucked away in special education class or day programs. How will you learn unless you interact and start to include? Ask to start buddy programs at school if you are of school age. If a nonspeaker lives on your street, include them in your circle of friends and do things with them. There are many small things you can do at the grassroots level which together will make a huge difference and normalize the presence of every kind of human being in everyday society.
Remembering George Floyd
Excerpts from Campus Mail.
Eight minutes and 46 seconds are etched in our minds forever. That is how long former and convicted police officer Derek Chauvin pushed his knee into George Floyd’s neck, suffocating and murdering him in public one year ago today. His death also symbolically represents the centuries of dehumanization of Black bodies across our nation beginning with the trans-Atlantic slave trade in 1619. The list of names of all the Black individuals who have lost their lives at the hands of police violence, transphobia, and belief systems that reinforce false notions of white supremacy are too many to name.
Black Lives Statistics
Did you know:
Black people are three times more likely than white people to be killed during a police encounter (Harvard School of Public Health June 2020);
Black drivers are more likely to be stopped by the police and three times more likely to be searched in comparison to white drivers;
Black people are four times more likely to experience the use of force during encounters with the police;
Once convicted of a crime, Black individuals receive longer and harsher sentences for the same offenses compared to white individuals.
Haas Scholar Orientation
Day 1: Introduction & Icebreakers / Interdisciplinary Exchanges
Day 1: Virtual Escape Room Activity
Day 2: Interdisiplinary Brainstorming
Session with Bob Haas
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