April is Autism Acceptance Month

Barely getting this posted in-time, but we thought it important to do so. This piece is a spotlight feature from our beloved teammate, Miss Autumn

Miss Autumn here–

I have autism.  What I want to tell people who loves someone with Autism is this; that experiencing the world differently and having unique challenges is an inherent part of my life, but not bad. It can feel hard – hitting milestones late and other challenges that came with me having Autism are something I still experience. And I am surrounded by support that has made all the difference to me. It isn’t always easy, but I also have unique strengths!  Learning I had Autism allowed me to understand myself… understand I wasn’t stupid, slow, or that I needed to morph myself into someone else. To understand that it’s okay that things take me longer and getting to where I am now did not happen quickly. I have had different experiences and understanding how my brain and body experience the world has helped me so much. I am so grateful for places like Thrive N Play that work to amplify that support while also affirming and amplifying voices. I feel my lived experience with Autism has added to my compassion for those with Autism as well as other disabilities for all support levels. 

Happy Autism Awareness and Acceptance month!

I hope you enjoy my poem. 

Tiger Out of the Zoo

Written by: Autumn Smith

The tiger’s out of the zoo

he walks on all fours and he has stripes too

the people stare and gawk that’s not

right that’s not right that’s not right

I feel differently than you but I feel too

I don’t have two legs but four

A different mouth and my insides would not look the same as yours

but all they see is that I do not stand upright and that I should

I’m a tiger out of the zoo

If my stripes melted and washed down the river

Or if I painted myself white as snow

then could I be like you

and do the things you do?

But my stripes they reappear

A thousand scrubs is but a single teardrop to them

They are a part of me as my beating heart

My moving chest

To remove them would be to remove me

From the corner of my eye

A boy bends down to crawl on all fours

A paintbrush in his hand painting stripes that shine like mine

Maybe he is a tiger too and feels the way that I do

His stripes made him look like he’s home

I hug my stripes as I realize

they were roads leading me to the place I need to be

~~~