Autism Projects

I was originally going to make today's post about my thoughts in regards to sex, but decided to hold off on that subject for the time being. Perhaps, I will write about that subject matter tomorrow.

Anyway, tonight after my autism empowerment that meets at Borders, I will be going to another autism meeting. I am meeting up with these college students who run a group called "On the Spectrum." Together, the group members will be offering assistance with my groups and perhaps even help me out with a project or two which I am extraordinarily grateful for. :) :) :)

One of the things we will likely do is have a Thanksgiving Party for people with autism. The party will be aimed for my young adult group (18+). I think that would be awesome because many of the members don't get too many opportunities to go to parties. :) My young adult group means a lot to me. Perhaps, because the members are all close to my age, and some of them I can relate to in a sense that it is sort of like looking at myself in the past. In addition, some of the groups might also attend my monthly meetings for the young adult group. Every month we have a meeting, and then we have an outing usually two weeks after the meeting. So, we meet twice a month. Back on topic, some of the girls might offer to help my group members how to feel confident and comfortable talking to an meeting women. A lot of the guys there just don't have the knowledge when it comes to girls, but having a girlfriend is something they want. Also, having a job is very important to them.

With that said, running these groups is sometimes a challenge because I sometimes ask my group members to do things that might be uncomfortable for them. For instance, one group  member wants a job, but when we do a pretend job interview that makes them very nervous. Also, having them do improv in regards to things that might come up while at work also makes that person nervous. In addition, it sometimes makes the guys nervous when I make a pretend scenario about approaching a member of the opposite gender. So, what I am saying is that I really don't like to do things that make people uncomfortable. When I make someone feel uncomfortable, I also feel uncomfortable. I used to avoid doing anything that I felt could make someone uncomfortable in any fashion, but I now realize that I am doing a disservice by doing that. I learned that the hard way. Overall, what I do realize is that by making people push themselves in my group, I better prepare them for the real world. If members in my group can't handle pretend job scenarios or pretend approaching girl scenarios, then I know in the real world they won't be prepared or know what to do, and they will never move forward with their lives. They will be stuck.

Anyway, with all that said, next year, I might be putting together a drama group for people with autism. I'm not sure how I will pull this off just yet. I will need a few volunteers. People that understand sound equipment. People to help with costumes. People to help work with others on their lines. I can't do all of it by myself. If I can get at least a dozen autistics interested, I will find some way to pull it off. This project will require a lot of commitment, and for some parents it may be a little too much. However, it is my deepest belief that something of this magnitude can be one of the most empowering experiences for someone on the autism spectrum.  I know that for some, going up on stage can be a very scary experience. I know that this will push the limits for some of the people that sign up, but that will be a good thing because this experience could be that one thing that really makes a difference in their lives and helps them succeed.

More than anything, I want to see all of my members happy. I want them to have the jobs they want and a wonderful relationship with a special somebody. I would love to see that happen for all of them.

TweetShare