Happy Fourth of July

 It's the Fourth of July. I know from experience it can be a bit overwhelming for someone who's autistic. Fireworks can definitely be overstimulating for people with autism; I would know since I would have my hands over my ears when I was a kid and eventually got better at dealing with them. In this case, having noise cancelling headphones are the best way to go.

With it being a hot summer, the heat can be uncomfortable too. In this situation, water and fans are good things to have around. If you're going to a barbecue tonight and it's overly crowded, just tell the host(s) you need to have a break and go to somewhere quiet to regroup. And if they don't have food you like, you can bring some food that you enjoy. Other than that, just remember to have fun this holiday.

And in my experience, if it's too hot to be barefoot, wear shoes. Simple as that. Have a great Fourth of July everyone!

"Special" Update

 

Four years ago, I got a letter saying I got picked for the 2022 USA Special Olympics in Orlando Florida. It was the highlight of my Special Olympics career. I did bowling when I was down there and I had fun making new friends and competing on a national level. Fast forward to this year, I got chosen again for the USA Special Olympics but I got picked for bocce. The location is also different, Minneapolis Minnesota. Obviously I will have training to do but I'm not going to have an exercise theme for the Barefoot Autism Challenge like I did in 2022. That being said, I'll be training as hard as I can and I know that it'll be fine regardless.

What I look forward with these games is besides competing in a sport I love and making new friends, is so many fun opportunities. Last time I led Team Iowa in the parade of athletes; I doubt I'll be doing that again but we'll see what happens. There's a cool event called the ESPN Unified Sports Challenge where athletes can do fun activities with Unified Partners and celebrities. I would love to do this because it's not everyday that I would compete alongside certain celebrities. One of my favorite celebrities is gymnast Shawn Johnson East who happens to be an ambassador for the games. Maybe she'll be on one of the teams doing the challenge. Who knows?

All I know is that even though the games are a year away, I need to prepare myself, train as hard as I can, and just know that there are going to be so many great things ahead. I can't wait to meet my bocce team and have a great time in Minnesota.

National Barefoot Day

 June 1st is National Barefoot Day! It's a day to enjoy the sensation of walking barefoot and to raise awareness about the importance of shoes for those in need, particularly underprivileged children and victims of natural disasters. The day is promoted by organizations like Soles4Souls. But people like me enjoy National Barefoot Day for the latter.

Summer is the time of year where a lot of us shed the shoes and let our feet be free. If you're curious about being barefoot, I encourage you to try going barefoot in your backyard and walk barefoot in the grass.

When you're barefoot in nature it just makes you feel better. Walking barefoot also helps with sleep, reducing anxiety and makes you feel like a kid again. Of course you do have to be aware of some things when walking barefoot. However, when you're barefoot you're more aware of your surroundings and you walk slower. That means if something comes up that might be dangerous, you're more aware of it and you are able to avoid it easier. We don't notice those kinds of things as much when wearing shoes. And when you walk slower you actually get to be more in the moment rather than being rushed.

So I hope you had a great National Barefoot Day and try going barefoot yourself.

The Barefoot Trail

In Flagstaff Arizona, there is a fun walking trail dedicated to one thing. Walking on it barefoot. While this is not exactly a new trend, this is the first of it's kind in an American state. The idea for this came from founder Leah Williams. She experienced a barefoot trail while living in Europe and she felt free and like she was a child again. The rules for the Barefoot Trail is simple: take off your shoes and socks and walk a mile-long trail over various terrain.

The trail itself started out slow with only six people, but by the end of the season there were almost 1000 people a week the last few weeks they were open. It's now in it's second season going on from May to October this year with some new additions like swings and bridges. It's fun for the whole family!

Click on the link to learn more about the trail!

The Barefoot Trail Foundation

Why America needs PBS more than ever

As many of you know PBS is facing cuts. I know everyone is entitled to their opinion, but I want to share my two cents on why PBS is important especially today.

PBS, the Public Broadcasting Service, provides television shows that are educational for kids and adults. Some of the shows I grew up on were Sesame Street, Barney and Friends, Reading Rainbow, Wishbone, The Big Comfy Couch, Zoom, Arthur, Between the Lions, Zoboomafoo with the Kratt Brothers, and Lamb Chop's Play Along. These shows taught me so many of life's fundamentals such as treating others with respect, good manners, history, geography, animals, reading, and believing in myself. In fact my grandmother had a Sesame Street activity book she used with me to help me try to regain my language after being diagnosed with autism. My local station Iowa PBS (then Iowa Public Television) did a documentary called The Life Autistic which I was a part of and you can watch here.

The Life Autistic

This documentary shared the lives of other people with autism from the young to the elderly. I was one of the first people they shown and I was honored to be a part of it. I especially volunteered with Iowa PBS at their telethons and their booth at the Varied Industries Building at the Iowa State Fair. It was special to me because I felt like it was my way of giving back to them for helping me become the person I am today.

If PBS were to get cut, it would negatively impact children whether they're on the spectrum or not. Some children watch PBS because their parents can't afford education for their kids. Essentially a classroom away from a school. The shows PBS have shared were always ones that benefited us and taught us to respect differences and treat others the way they want to be treated. I don't want to see an America where PBS is completely gone and children don't learn the things that I have.

To find out ways that you can help, go to Protect My Public Media.

https://protectmypublicmedia.org/

#SavePBS

Nearing the end of another Autism month

 

As we come to the end of another autism acceptance month, I look back on how it all started for my challenge and how it's going now. I feel like I made a big impact on the autism community by sharing some of my different stories, and hearing other stories along the way.

Although that's not to say there aren't some other challenges out there that we're now experiencing or continue to face. I know some people are not that kind to other people with autism, but we have to remember this: let your true blue friends and your family be there for you. Their words are the ones that matter. No matter how much you might want to, you can't change what others think about you. You got to do what you do best and hopefully inspire others to learn more about autism.

There's a lot more work to do, but I feel like we're making great progress and I'm so proud of the autism community for coming together this month and stepping up for a cause we believe in.

I'm officially 32

 April 16th I turned 32 years old. I never thought this was where I would be. An autistic adult working a full time job, making a difference in my community, and inspiring others to show support for autism and give back to their community. I hope the rest of the year is as good as the last 32.