Writing with Autism has been a liberating experience. If you’ve made it this far, you might have noticed the word ‘autistic’ on the header of my home page. For those of you that may not know Autism is a developmental disability caused by differences in the brain. People with autism or autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have difficulties in social interaction and communication. Also, they may have repetitive behaviors or interests, as well as having a unique way of learn, moving, or paying attention. Some individuals speak with advanced vocabulary, while others are non-verbal. No two autistic individuals are the same. I could go on and on about this disability, but that’s what online articles written by professionals are for. This disability and I are stuck together forever, so I’d figure we should cozy up to one another by discovering my interests, hobbies, and passions. In my youth, I enjoy Legos, animals, and painting. However, as I got older, I felt a void inside me that yearned to be filled. That is when I found out my favorite activity, writing.
Use perceived weaknesses as strengths
Had you asked me when I was a teenager that I would write poetry in my free time over playing video games, I would’ve laughed in your face and called you insane. I honestly don’t recall what exactly compelled me to write my first poem, but it might have been an overwhelming emotion that I needed to transfer onto paper. What I do remember is writing an essay for my college English course and my professor recommending that I submit it to the college magazine, which I ended up doing. From that day on, I began writing more and more. Soon I was doing it every day and as I kept repeating this pattern, my autism became accustomed to writing. My creative mind came up with new concepts to write about, be it a short story or poetry. Writing had become second nature at this point. I read books and studied authors which expanded my vocabulary and my ambitions. One day while at work, my mind drifted off as it occasionally does, but this was different. I slowly began cooking up a plot and characters for a novel. This was completely unintentional. I never envisioned myself as an author. I must credit my autism for being spontaneous as it led me here and escalated my love for writing. While I may procrastinate and we not be on the same page sometimes, we are a team. Together, I truly believe I can get this novel published. It will be my proudest accomplishment. Writing with Autism, I wouldn’t have it any other way.