My Comment to the October 2022 Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee Meeting
Squidalicious
by
1w ago
If you're frustrated about the state of government support for autistic people and their families in the United States, one of the most straightforward ways you can speak up about autism policy is to submit a comment to public IACC meetings. What is the IACC, you ask? From their website: The Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) is a Federal advisory committee that coordinates Federal efforts and provides advice to the Secretary of Health and Human Services on issues related to autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Through its inclusion of both Federal and public members, the IACC helps ..read more
Visit website
Nāscendī (Of Being Born) | Joe on Trans Rights
Squidalicious
by
1w ago
[video: Joe, a white teen with curly brown hair and glasses, sitting on a stool in an art gallery, addressing an audience.] This page has been around longer than my youngest child—who is now in college and doing their own advocacy, for instance giving public talks with Listen For a Change on why gender-affirming medical care saves lives and improves mental health.  If you have people in your life who don't understand why it's important to support trans kids, maybe my kid's story about their medical transition will help. And please donate to Listen For A Change and TransLifeline if ..read more
Visit website
My Public Comment to the October 2021 IACC Meeting
Squidalicious
by
1w ago
Hiking—Always Hiking[image: Selfie of me on a redwood trail  Leo is visible, blurrily, behind me.] I gave a live video public comment (at 1:19:49) at yesterday's IACC meeting, about the need for autism research and resources to serve existing autistic people of all abilities. The comment limit was three minutes, so this is the condensed version of my howling fury over how research is primarily currently sunk into causation and treatment, not quality of life or communication. Will post the video when it becomes available.  ---- My name is Shannon Rosa. I am the moth ..read more
Visit website
2020: The Year of Hiking
Squidalicious
by
1w ago
A scene from today's hike at Skyline Ridge[image: Young white man with short brown hair, from behind, hiking a wide trail under tall oaks.] 2020 was, appropriately enough, the year in which my middle child turned 20. And despite the year's significant and unceasing horrors, which are being catalogued everywhere and which I do not need to list for you, I enjoyed the extra time I got to spend with my family, and specifically with that son. My crew and I are incredibly lucky, and I remain gratefully, painfully aware of that good fortune. Because it's what we enjoy and due to a lack ..read more
Visit website
Autism versus Face Masks and Maskholes
Squidalicious
by
1w ago
Baby Iz versus Pandemic Iz[image: Two photos: Left: Iz as a baby wearing overall made from marbled green fabric; right: Iz right now wearing a face mask of the very same fabric.] We're several months into mandatory pandemic face masking, and my son still can't wear a mask. It's not for lack of trying; he knows he's supposed to wear one, and we talk about how they help protect people from COVID-19 and why it is a deadly and contagious virus. When I put my mask on, he puts his on, too. And then, because the feeling of a mask on his face is intolerable for autistic sensory reasons, he t ..read more
Visit website
On Always Always Always Learning
Squidalicious
by
1w ago
We are also Always, Always, Always Hiking.[image: White teen boy with short brown hair wearing a baseball cap, seen from behind, sitting on a wooden park bench overlooking the San Francisco Bay.] My partially–speaking autistic son recently learned to say "excuse me" after he farts.  This is important for many reasons. We are a gassy crew, and we fart a lot, so this is a good skill for all of us to have. But it's also important from the perspective of having confidence in him, in that he is always learning, and that we need to keep encouraging him to do so.  Like man ..read more
Visit website
Pandemic Greetings from Our Backyard
Squidalicious
by
1w ago
We are fortunate in that we can all learn and work from home during the pandemic lockdown, now on week…10?  Maybe? Time has lost any meaning without our usual school, work, and commute structures, which is both good and bad. My only complaint is the difficulty of carving out any alone time, which as an introvert is helpful for my mental health and energy levels/ability to not yell at people who aren't doing anything wrong. But that is a very minor issue right now. Very minor. Still, yesterday was a beautiful spring day, so while the kids were engaged in the house but within earshot, I sn ..read more
Visit website
Vanilla Cake For a Nineteen-Year-Old Dude
Squidalicious
by
1w ago
FOAM PIT! [image: Distance view of Leo about to jump into a foam pit, seen through black safety netting.] Someone turned nineteen very recently. Someone's mother remains in denial. We celebrated that someone's birthday according to their specific wishes for pancakes, a typically forbidden strawberry milkshake, and a trampoline-based birthday party with friends. It was a Very Good Day, going by the Very Big Smile metric. The resident someone was also clear that they wanted a vanilla cake for when cake-and-candle time rolled around. I'm perfectly happy with cake mix confections, but d ..read more
Visit website
Thanks For Making Me Cry, Ride a Wave
Squidalicious
by
1w ago
Let me wipe off my still-foggy glasses and explain why that title may not mean what you think it means. This past weekend, Leo participated in Ride A Wave—that glorious all-volunteer supported and inclusive surfing, boogie boarding, and kayaking extravaganza for people with disabilities. For our dude, this yearly "going surfing" is an annual immersion in bliss. While Leo looks forward to his yearly Ride A Wave day for months, this time he was so excited that he woke up several hours before the morning fun started (props to my tag-team partner Seymour for being up for those several hours ..read more
Visit website
Dear Other Mothers of Autistic Kids: I See You
Squidalicious
by
1w ago
A Mother's Day gift from Leo.  [image: Small decorated terra cotta pot with emerging seedlings. A printed icon attached to a popsicle stick is stuck in the soil, has illustrations of four flowers, and reads, "Flowers for Mom".] For Mother's Day here in the United States, I want all you other moms of autistic kids to know that I see you, and that you are not alone. ---- I see your joys, and I see your sorrows. I see you when you are having a tough day yet still manage to interact with your child with respect and kindness. I see you when you keep your voice calm during crises ..read more
Visit website

Follow Squidalicious on FeedSpot

Continue with Google
Continue with Apple
OR