Autistics Speak

On Monday, I'll be visiting many of the autistic bloggers listed in our directory. It's how I will show my support for autistic individuals. I hope if you haven't read all 100 of the bloggers on the spectrum that you'll drop by and visit them.

Froggy Friday!

Hope everyone had a good week and has a great weekend. And if you didn't and don't expect to, sending positive thoughts and warm hugs your way.

Not Going Silent on November 1

Many bloggers are writing about the whole going silent on facebook and twitter thing on November 1. As I make the rounds of blogs on the Special Needs Blog Hop, I've noted that I won't be. So many of my facebook and twitter friends are autistic. If we went silent on that day, would that not isolate them more? Bah.

Instead I say, go to the blogs by individuals on the spectrum and say hi. Read some entries. Learn what their lives are like. Our children will one day be autistic adults. We want to make sure our children have a good support system, well, let's be a good support system to the autistic adults who are in our midst now.

Updated to include our list of bloggers on the spectrum.

Bloggers on the spectrum:

Blogs By Folks on the Spectrum

http://crackedmirrorinshalott.wordpress.com/

http://aspergerfrauen.wordpress.com/

http://elfnetc.blogspot.com/

http://emperornetc.blogspot.com/

http://www.thishasbecomeaweakness.blogspot.com/

http://aspiegirlworld.blogspot.com/

• Runman
• Matt's Corner
• Astrid's Journal
• Life with Aspergers
• Megzz's Life With Asperger's
• THE NEW REPUBLIC
• Alienhippy's Blog » I am, what I am!
• Nobody Once Upon an Eternity
• No Stereotypes Here - Neurodiversity activist blog
• Reports from a Resident Alien
• Biodiverse Resistance
• Journeys with Autism
• Autism Women's Network
• Life in the House That Asperger Built
• Incorrect Pleasures
• Wildeman's Words
• Counting Time
• Ultimate Superset
• The Standard Review
• autism's gadfly
• Autist's Corner
• LBnuke — LBnuke
• kevinhealey.net
• Autistic Speaks
• Flashback Dream Sequence
• Asperger-4-Life
• Autistic Self Advocacy Network, Northern Virginia
• Aspitude!
• The Obsessive Special Interests Blog
• Dude, I'm An Aspie.
• Chez Aspie - DJ Kirkby's blog
• Letters from Aspergia
• Autistic Aphorisms
• A View From the Boundaries
• Spectrum Times
• :: iBlog African Jungle
• ONE Autistic in Ireland
• Springingtiger's Blog
• Born 2b me
• Autistic mom loses custody of autistic girls in SD
• Unstrange Mind
• Aspie Teacher
• aspie rhetor
• the incipient turvy
• Comets Corner
• The Autistic Me
• It's Tabis Time!
• Prism*song
• The Autism Crisis
• Aspects of Aspergers
• Aspie from Maine
• The Other Side
• in regione caecorum rex est luscus
• Textual Fury » When I break things in I really break them!
• The Quixotic Autistic
• Autistic Academic
• Support from Parents of Autistic Adults
• Icicle's blog
• The Tao of Autism
• Happily Eccentric: Being a Woman with Asperger's Syndrome
• The Residential Autist
• Amy's Short Stories
• Married with Autism
• Look Me In The Eye
• In My Voice
• Autism Rocks
• Homo Autistic
• I'm not crazy-----i am autistic!!!!!
• Real Age of Autism
• More Than A Number
• Cat in a Dog's World
• A Coffee Addicted Office Assistant On The Borders Of Autism
• Sociology Graduate with PDD-NOS
• Stranger than you can imagine
• Optimnem Blog: The Blog of Daniel Tammet
• Thoughts of an Autistic
• i speak
• Spectrum Siblings
• Halfway up Rysy Peak
• Aspie World
• Whose Planet Is It Anyway?
• Com(mentary)Aut(ism)World
• Asperger Square 8
• I am just like you-but different
• The Rettdevil's Rants
• A Coffee Addicted, Mildly Autistic Office Assistant
• Normal Is Overrated
• Parallel Play
• Action For Autism
• A Grand Illusion
• BORN on the Spectrum: Aspergian Perspective
• Cube Demon's Thoughts
• Autistic Quality
• thiswayoflife.org/blog
• wrtAUTISM
• A Grand Illusion · An Autistic Trying to Survive and Thrive in a Non-Autistic World

  
  
  http://www.autistickat.blogspot.com/

Another community builder-sharing

  About a year and a half ago a blog called Kicking Kittens was launched. It was born out of a conversation between both Kim and myself.(The name is from the idea that whenever I spoke positively or humorously about my children and disability-some people acted as though I were indeed "kicking kittens") It was one of our first steps towards  community building.  There just seemed to be so much fighting on the internet, that we wanted to create a positive place for people to go to.  A place to share positive stories, ideas and experiences. We also wanted to give people who didn't want the responsibility of a blog a chance to tell their stories. I contacted various forums and groups and individuals.  Some people ignored it, some people said it wasn't "pretty enough" and many participated. It isn't a fancy blog, nor is it stylish. The idea is that people's voices make it beautiful-without needing any embellishment.

  There are so many wonderful blogs in our community here-and there isn't enough time in the day to read them all..although we do try. So I am asking anyone who is interested to come on over and participate-or just read.  What better way to start your day than with a positive story.

Today we have a funny piece from Papa Bear who blogs over here. I encourage you to go on over and check it out.  Thanks..I hope you all have a lovely rest of the week.

Another Community Building Opportunity!

Autism Mom Rising is great at finding opportunities for our blogging community to get out and about and make new friends. This week we'll begin commenting for the IComLeavWe (there's still time to sign up!); Autism Learning Felt also hosts something similar, the Special Needs Blog Hop where you go comment at the blogs on the list on Thursday.

It's a big list, but I bet we can help it get bigger!


I'll be visiting the blogs listed on the Blog Hop and adding the ones that aren't already on the directory to it! I hope you'll take the time to look at Blog Hop and IComLeavWe. Even if you don't feel up to making the round robin of comments, maybe there will be some blogs that interest you and give you the chance to build community!

We are not a gated community..

  When Kim and I started discussing the idea of this bloglist, we had one concept in mind-building community.  We thought that it would be wonderful to get everyone in one place with the idea of building on common ground.  We are all together in this world-diverse and different.  We all have a voice and deserve to be listened to, we also have the responsibility of listening to each other.

   This place is for many voices, different ideas and different points of view. Where commonality is more important than difference of opinion. I think that I can say with confidence that we all want a better world for ourselves and our families. Every blog here is worthy of inclusion and acceptance-just as the people who write them are.

  We now have over 350 blogs listed. How wonderful is that?  We are constantly on the hunt for new blogs to add to the directory.  We are also interested in listing blogs by individuals and families dealing with any kind of adversity and/or challenge. It need not be about autism.  Anyone looking for support and community.   As always, if you know of a blog that is not listed-or you would like your blog listed-Email us.  You will find our addresses on the right side of this page. Lets keep building our community-one blog at a time.

Autism Mom Rising: International Comment Leaving Week

Autism Mom Rising has a new post showcasing International Comment Leaving Week, which she's kindly letting me repost here.

Autism Mom Rising:



This campaign really gets it - comments are indeed the new hug. Stats feeds tell us that someone landed on our blog. A comment shows it's actually been read and enjoyed. Comments build community around shared ideas and experiences. And, I'll just come out and say it - they show advertisers we have an audience.


If it were it not for comments I'd probably just keep a journal.


Do you leave comments as often as you'd like? Sometimes I do. But reading blogs between appointments and swearing I'll do it later does not always translate into action. Life gets in the way. That is why we NEED International Comment Leaving Week. It actually builds comment leaving into our schedules each month! How easy is that?!

If comments are the new hug then International Comment Leaving week is like giving and receiving a great big cyber bear hug for a week. Here's how it works:



1. Register your blog here


2. Add the code for this in your sidebar (find code at above link).






IComLeavWe: Join the Conversation

3. During the 21-28th each month you are registered go to the master list of blogs each day. Select at least six blogs a day and leave comments. Return at least one comment that's left on your blog.

Some people even aspire for Iron Commenter status, whereby they leave a comment on every blog listed. Iron Commenters get listed on The Wall of Honour . This is only for those who have that kind of time and is certainly not required.

MY FIRST EXPERIENCE WITH ICLW

September was my first ICLW. I was inspired to participate by my love of community. Mel of the blog Stirrup Queens organizes ICLW because she loves community too. A little context - Mel is to the broader in-vitro, infertility, adoption, miscarriage, infant loss community what Kim Wombles is to Autism with the directory.

Most of the blogs registered were Mel's friends from the broader fertility seeking community. Being one of the few listed from a different community I learned a lot. Those without fertility concerns cannot fathom what these women go through just to have what we take for granted. It reminds me of how parents of typical kids have no idea how our children struggle for milestones that come so easy to their kids. We never know what it is like for someone else until we take the time to listen. I'm so glad I did.

Reading their blogs I felt empathy. Is that strange since I don't share those fertility issues personally? Not really. These blogs house stories of struggle and actualization, from the joys of motherhood to the agony of child loss. I may be fertile but I know grief and loss. My child is still with me, but I did lose my son as I knew him. Of course, this is not the same as actually losing a child, but grief recognizes grief, no matter the degree or manifestation. Such loss splits the heart in a million pieces, then sends them out compassionately in all directions.

ICLW week is electric. You can feel it in the air as people buzz from blog to blog leaving a little dose of positivity behind. My blog had so many wonderful new visitors.

I told Mel what a moving experience September's ICLW was for me. She encouraged me to invite the disability community to join in for October. So far Kim Wombles and I signed up. I hope others decide to join us. You'll be glad you did.

...

Kim: 

I've signed up to do it, and I hope that directory members will also take advantage of the opportunity to build community. :)

More blogs have been added to disability-related blogging lists. I hope you'll give them a look-see. Ah, and let us know of other wonderful blogs we've not found yet!

And to Autism Mom Rising for showcasing this great chance to meet new folks, I give her our Sunshine Blogging Award for this week!