Autism Awareness and Acceptance Piece 2021

Part 3

Photography 19: White Flowers in a Border with a logo for Ariel's Action Shots Photography

"The problem with having masked my Autism and coping on my own for so long, is that when I can no longer cope, nobody believes me. They think I am making excuses and trying to be lazy or difficult. On the outside, I appear to be just like everyone else, so they assume that there is nothing wrong and I am faking it. Inside I am freaking out. Overwhelmed, anxious and feeling like I have nowhere to turn."-Unknown

Now after 20 years on my Autism journey, I have finally learned to embrace the fact I have Autism and some abilities that come with it. One of the biggest abilities came with my Autism is my perspective of world, which I show through my photography. As photographer, it has given a way to express my view of the world. Through my photography, I have been able to show my perspective which is the filter I see the world through in more ways than one.

Photography 20: Rose in a Border with a logo for Ariel's Action Shots Photography

"Photography is an art of observation, it's about finding something interesting in an ordinary place, and it has little to do with the things you see and everything to do with how you see them."-Elliott Erwitt

Another ability I am more empathetic than most people. That myth of Autistic person without empathy is just that. Some of us like me, feel too much which is overwhelming feeling came from during my high school years. Some days I cannot watch the news for same reason because when too many bad things are the news, it overwhelms me. Over the years, I have learned that I did have the verbal skills and social skills to explain what I was feeling so it came out as tears. Now that I am older, I have easier time explain the emotions I am feeling to people who will take the time to listen. Most of my life that came across too many people as me being too sensitive to everyone else. I know that I am lucky because I did not allow the world to get rid of sensitivity and is advantage more than disadvantage.

Photography 21: Sunset in a Border with a logo for Ariel's Action Shots Photography

"We do not lack "empathy" as people know it. We lack "cognitive empathy". That is, the ability to predict other's thoughts and intentions including the ability to "read between the lines" during communication. We have plenty of "affective empathy" which is the ability to share another person's feelings with them. We have plenty of "compassionate empathy", which is the desire to help others (though we may not always know how). Many of us have too much affective and compassionate empathy which can be overwhelming for us."-Aspie Coach

Another ability I can see patterns in many things in ways that most people do not even recognize. This advantage was something I learn to embrace because it means that certain hobbies and subjects were easier for me than others. For example, most of the time once I figure out the pattern for a knitting project, I can visual the pattern. In high school, that made it easier to learn music because I able to memorize a music piece and memorized based on the pattern instead another way. I am able spot pattern more now than I was able do it during my childhood and it was something I did as kid that drove my parents crazy because I would recognize them all the time. Most tasks are made easier once I am able figure out the pattern of something in life.

Photography 22: Black Butterfly with orange and blue on it in a Border with a logo for Ariel's Action Shots Photography

"Every problem has a solution. You just have to be creative enough to find it."-Travis Kalanick

Another ability I can visual the way an item is suppose go together. For example, during our move, as we put shelve unit together for the garage. I could visually put them together before we put them together. While one member of our family does not like that I am able to do because 90% I am right. I am not an engineer, but I am able visually figure out object should look like. Being able to visual the problem or object we are trying to put together make it advantage to be creative enough to find the solution to building items.

Last ability I am an intuitive person. I have a couple friends descripted me this way in the last couple years. But I never thought it as advantage because it was just how I was. But when I read a story with my friends. I normal catch themes and things before they become important. In life, this has been harder ability because at young age, many people made me questioned this ability. So, in last couple years, I learned to go back to more person, who is this way. A good amount of Autistic are intuitive people but we normal have people in our lives make us question this ability, so we stop using it because other people in our lives do not understand.

Photography 23: White Flowers in a Border with a logo for Ariel's Action Shots Photography

"Shoutout to fellow Autistics who feel their emotions too deeply. Those who get told they are "overacting" constantly. Those who have meltdowns due to emotional overload. Those who cannot regulate their emotions, even if their life depended on it. Those who cannot control their reaction to things that upset them – even if they are deemed "illogical" by others. The "overly emotional" Autistics."-The Autistic Life

After embracing my Autism, the last part of my Autism journey is getting rid of the idea of curing Autism. Like many people on the spectrum, I have found my method to deal with some of traits including avoid triggers for sensory overload. Now that I am older, it only happened after the dentist and in movie theaters. I am one of those people on spectrum who fight against Autism Speaks because if they want to cure Autism then there are no more artists, writers, scientists, and many more. So yes, it is not easy living a world that is overwhelming at times, but I do not want a cure for it. Those people who believe there should be a cure for Autism Spectrum Disorder, I explain I was kept on my Attention Deficit Disorder medication to make easier for everyone else around me. That told me as child, there was something wrong with the way I was create so I prevent another child from feeling that way I ever felt growing up I will I made a difference in this community.