1974: 1 in 5,000 Children had Autism
“In a world before autism advocacy…twenty years before Asperger’s Syndrome…we were in your midst. When they noticed me on tip-toes, they made me a ballerina…when the light bothered me, I was allergic to sunlight…When I only ate a few select items, I was picky…When I could not stray from my rigid routine, I was hard-headed…When I cried and screamed, I was spoiled—everything was my fault. No one recognized my autism; no one saw that I had Asperger’s Syndrome. How could they? Asperger’s Syndrome, Aspies—I—did not exist; not yet.”
A JOURNEY INTO THE MIND OF A CHILD
"School was an endless struggle of confusing instructions. They wanted me to know the answer, but didn’t want me to tell them what it was. They wanted me to raise my hand to be called on before answering, but then they didn’t call on me. Instead they asked someone else who clearly didn’t know the answer, and was not raising their hand.”
AN IMPOSSIBLE TRANSITION
“Adolescence crept up on me, and bound and gagged me when I wasn’t looking. Adulthood threatened to choke the life from my soul. My happy stimming behaviors were replaced with mind numbing alcohol. My intelligence was not being fed, and my self-worth began to rely on whose attention I attracted. I was on a downward spiral into the abyss of uncertainty. "
A LIFE TIME OF CONFUSION
“When I didn’t connect with my peers, I just didn’t care about them. When I misinterpreted situations, I was inconsiderate. When I asserted myself, I was inappropriate. When my children’s screaming hurt my head, I was a bad mother. When I could not keep them on a schedule, or keep the house in tip-top shape, I was lazy. When I could not stick to a budget, I was irresponsible. When I couldn’t understand, I was stupid. When I stayed in my pajamas for days, I was depressed. When I was overwhelmed by the world, I was agoraphobic. When I was tired and frightened, I had an anxiety disorder. When I realized something was wrong with me, I was making excuses.”
A DISCOVERY THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING
“The veil of darkness and misunderstanding has been pulled from our eyes. For the first time in my life, I was no longer alone; I was no longer scared; no longer confused. The knowledge of my autism has changed my perception. My differences define me. Now I know being me is not a bad thing. The journey, my journey, to find myself, to find out what was wrong with me had not come to an end, but to a beginning.”
Hi there. Glad you stopped by!
I’m an author who spends her time writing articles to help educate those who want to know what it is like to be autistic, and to encourage those who have loved ones on the spectrum. I share my life, struggles and triumphs, of both living with an autism spectrum disorder, and raising three ASD boys with the world. I hope that I can help you better understand autism from the inside.
Jeannie's Book
Twirling Naked in the Streets and No One Noticed; Growing up with Undiagnosed Autism, a memoir of Jeannie's life, was the winner of the 2013 International Reader's Favorites Silver Award in the autobiography category. It spent most of the year on Kindle #1 Bestseller Lists, and is available in e-book, paperback, and audio. Click to read reviews or order from Amazon.
2013 Book Fair and Awards Ceremony in Miami
Aspie Teen accompanied me to Miami, while Hubby stayed home with my other three boys. We had a wonderful Mom and son trip, enjoyed the awards ceremony, and our shopping at the Miami Book Fair!
AngelSense and Other Recommended Products You Need
Discover how AngelSense gives us peace of mind, even allowing us to take a weekend to ourselves. Plus, recommendations for products we use like weighted blankets, body socks, calming toys, therapy swings, and more.
About Jeannie
Jeannie is an autistic author, student, wife, and mother to four boys on the autism spectrum. Jeannie's entire life was transformed when she was finally properly diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome, a form of high-functioning autism, but that was not until she was 38 years old! Due to a recent diagnosis of Celiac Disease, Jeannie is exploring new difficulties and triumphs implementing a strict gluten-free diet and lifestyle. She loves to travel with her family and aspires to explore the entire world—food allergies, celiac, autism, and a mess load of boys in tow.
Autism Family Travel
I have always wanted to travel, and we are not letting Autism stop us! In this section, you will see us enjoying destinations around the world. There may be some reviews and tips along the way, but what I would like from this portion of my blog is for you to see that if we can do it, so can you. Don't let anyone ever tell you cannot!
Take some time to look around and hang out...
When I am not writing about autism, and our lives, I am reading, working on my novel, taking college classes, and running through the mall after my children like a mad woman. Often you can find me avoiding work by talking too much on Facebook or Twitter. I'm always lurking around here somewhere talking about autism, the kids, or the darn computer that I want to throw out the window!
Today we begin our long journey back to South Carolina with our family in tow. It will be a long, hard, trip in the car with my four boys. They will yell, scream, cry, and drive us bonkers on the way and I will be grateful. BUT when they fall …
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I am posting a link to hubby’s blog post about the Tot’s evaluation at BabyNet. A follow-up/update on his autism evaluation process. I will write a more in-depth post about our evaluation process at BabyNet. But to make a long story short, we made a visit to the Tot’s doctor …
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