What Autism Means To Me

What Autism Means to Me

By Logan 

It is awesome to be different, it’s genetics. Our DNA makes us all different, that is what God wanted. Acceptance is a big word but really, it’s easy to do. Why would God place us all on the earth to be the same, I don’t want to be like everyone else. Why do some accept people in books and movies like Harry Potter, people who aren’t real but I’m real and you don’t accept me? I do awesome things, I’m a great friend, and I’m an awesome gamer and Nerf player.  We all have special powers, your powers aren’t any better than mine, they are just different.

I forgive the bullies who were mean to me. I forgive the grown-ups who were mean to my mom and dad. I think that they bully because something bad happened to them and I feel sad for them.

Any kid that is different just wants to be accepted, to be loved, to have a friend, to be who they are with all their quirks. It is not nice to have people make fun of you, tease you, bully you, laugh at you and to stare at you. If you have questions just ask me but don’t point and be mean.

If you accept God and Jesus why can’t you accept who He has created? He created me, He made me different and He made me awesome! I know sometimes I don’t always look people in the eyes or answer loud enough or know what to say but I love everyone and I am listening, sometimes I just need a minute to think or to know what to say. I am not being rude, I just need to think.  I want you to hug me but sometimes it makes me feel awkward just give me time and I will hug you back. I like high fives and fist bumps to show people that I love them.

I am not a number that the doctors put out, I am not just Autistic or a math genius, I am more than that; I am me, just call me Logan.  And watch me change the world.

I AM Socialized

My mom is asked this question all of the time and I don't get why, "Is your son socialized?" What does that mean? That I don't talk to other people? I am talking to you right now, why are you asking that? My mom is talking to you? We socialize with others all of the time. We choose not to socialize with jerks, with people who make us feel bad. 

I am not locked in a cage, chained to the computer working on assignments and tests until my fingers hurt. That sounds like the public school I went to. 


Learning a new swear word in the hallways of school is not socialization. 


I have friends. I go on field trips. I talk to little kids and adults. I love everyone until you hurt my feelings or my moms or my dads, until you say something to be mean, until you are a jerk. 

Education is about learning not about how many people I socialized with today. I have manners, you don't if you ask my mom about homeschooling and socialization. 

Why are people so worried about that? Why is it your business? You don't live with me. You are being rude if you ask my mom "Are you worried that he isn't socialized enough?" 

My mom tells me to think before I speak, we all need to do that. 

I am socialized. Homeschool is fun and I would not want anyone else but my mom to teach me. She loves teaching and I love learning. 

Don't be a jerk!

My Take on The Odd Life of Timothy Green

This movie was the greatest movie ever! It's about a man and woman who want a baby but can't have one. They are really sad. They write down what their kid would be like and put it in a box and buried in the garden. In the middle of a storm Timothy Green appears out of nowhere. 

He called them mom and dad. Timothy had something really cool on him, he had leaves on his legs. They were surprised by him but loved him right away. He was different and funny. When Timothy went to school he was bullied but he wasn't sad about it. He liked a girl and she liked him because he was different.

Timothy was on the soccer team but the coach would not let him play because he was not good enough. But he was happy being the water boy. Everyone was yelling and wanted the team to win but Timothy was not like that. No matter who rejected him he liked them, he wasn't mean back.

I don't want to give the entire movie away because I want you to watch it. At the end I cried. I cried really hard because it was such a good movie. I cried because I know what it is like to be different and for people to treat you like an alien. 

Life is not about who is a better soccer player or who can play the most instruments or being the most popular kid and having a million friends. Life is about happiness, love, God, and being yourself. 

A cool thing I found out was that the movie was filmed here in North Carolina. I want to go visit that town. It would be the perfect homeschool field trip.

Go watch The Odd Life of Timothy Green!

Keeping it real

My mom and I are writing a book about what I went through when I was little and when I was told I was on the autism spectrum. While we were working on it I was thinking about all the times that people have treated me differently because I am on the autism spectrum. Because I am not like them. I am not like their kids who are in lots of sports or have a hundred friends. Because I talk about the components of what creates galaxies. Because I talk about different kinds of fungi and how they could cure cancer.

I want to cure cancer for kids. I don't know why people talk about curing autism. I don't have a disease. I don't need a cure. God made me who I am, why would I want to cure that? Kids that are sick with cancer need a cure. That is who we should focus on.

Kids on the autism spectrum don't need a pill to cure it, we need love. We need empathy. We need you to know that we like who we are, why can't you?

My mom and dad never make me feel bad about my quirks. They love me, Logan. They don't want to cure me. They don't want me to feel weird around other people but if I do, they are not mad at me, they understand.

I want people to know that weird is awesome. It's great. It's fun.

It's OK to be weird.

I know when people don't like me right away. I can feel it. Sometimes it makes me sad but I know that God will bring friends to me who like me for all my weirdness.

I know sometimes people can't understand what I am saying. I can't help it. It's the roof of my mouth but I am going to get that fixed at the orthodontist.

Weird is awesome, so don't for get it!

I'm just keeping it real.

WARNING FROM LOGAN'S MOM:
If you don't have anything nice or positive to say to this fabulous twelve year old, keep it to yourself. If you come at my kid, you have me to deal with. And trust me, you don't want that.

What I Think About Moving

Cons:

Leaving friends

Leaving my best friend

Stressful

Feeling sad

Pros:

Making new friends

Visit new places

See new animals

Learn new history

Facetime my best friend



I am excited to meet new kids.

I met two new boys who knew what the cheese touch was and they fist bumped. Andrew has seen all of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid movies. I told him that my best friend Matthew knew them all too.

We picked Andrew up and his mom and they rode with us to the community center and we talked about Mindcraft, Lego's and robots.

I like our new house.

In our new dining room it feels like a greenhouse with all the plants and trees around us. It makes me want to relax.
I switched rooms. The other one is more young adult.

There are always cons with moving but I found more pros.  I'm a positive type of kid.

I say thank you God for bringing us here. He knows what is right for us.


me and my dad at the cool art museum


this science museum was my favorite


me and my mom exploring the woods. I was itching my nose and my mom thought it was funny.

I Did It

Yesterday our friends Matthew and Doreen invited us to go to the movies. Mom asked me if I would want to go and I said “YES!” I haven’t been to the movies in six years. I have very sensitive hearing. I was feeling brave and I knew I could do it. Mom brought my ear phones just in case I got too loud. I was feeling very excited. When the previews came on I was still feeling good. Some parts did hurt my ears but I was focusing on not letting it bother me. Eating popcorn and drinking my slushy helped my mind stay busy.

I am feeling more confident. I went up on stage last week when my mom was speaking to others about the Autism Spectrum and she read my blog post “What Autism Means to Me”. When my mom was crying I cried inside myself. I just wanted to be brave.

It is scary to try new things but I know I can do it and so do my mom and dad. They are brave so I am brave.

The Lorax was an awesome movie and I’m happy I got to see it with my best friend.

What Autism Means to Me

What Autism Means to Me

By Logan 

It is awesome to be different, it’s genetics. Our DNA makes us all different, that is what God wanted. Acceptance is a big word but really, it’s easy to do. Why would God place us all on the earth to be the same, I don’t want to be like everyone else. Why do some accept people in books and movies like Harry Potter, people who aren’t real but I’m real and you don’t accept me? I do awesome things, I’m a great friend, and I’m an awesome gamer and Nerf player.  We all have special powers, your powers aren’t any better than mine, they are just different.

I forgive the bullies who were mean to me. I forgive the grown-ups who were mean to my mom and dad. I think that they bully because something bad happened to them and I feel sad for them.

Any kid that is different just wants to be accepted, to be loved, to have a friend, to be who they are with all their quirks. It is not nice to have people make fun of you, tease you, bully you, laugh at you and to stare at you. If you have questions just ask me but don’t point and be mean.

If you accept God and Jesus why can’t you accept who He has created? He created me, He made me different and He made me awesome! I know sometimes I don’t always look people in the eyes or answer loud enough or know what to say but I love everyone and I am listening, sometimes I just need a minute to think or to know what to say. I am not being rude, I just need to think.  I want you to hug me but sometimes it makes me feel awkward just give me time and I will hug you back. I like high fives and fist bumps to show people that I love them.

I am not a number that the doctors put out, I am not just Autistic or a math genius, I am more than that; I am me, just call me Logan.  And watch me change the world.