Day: November 17, 2017

I want you to imagine someone talking to a deaf person, yelling at them, complaining that they won’t listen. Imagine this person insisting that the deaf person be disciplined for refusing to listen and, because he wouldn’t listen, to be disciplined for subordination.

We would obviously find the person who behaves like this appalling. They are expecting something from someone they are literally incapable of doing. A deaf person’s ears do not work the same as yours — do not work at all in this case. But it would be just as ridiculous to expect a color blind person to differentiate between red and green. Or that a blind person be required to take an art appreciation class. We recognize exactly how ridiculous these things are.

But when it comes to autism, there is a completely irrational expectation that the person simply change their behavior, as though that were at…

As I drive home from work, the wind beats comforting patterns across my shaved head and I sing boldly along to the music pouring out of the speaker. I admire the beauty of the landscape and think of how lucky I am to live in such a beautiful place. My heart beats in anticipation of the moment I will see my love.

I open the door to the home we share and take a few steps into the living room where he lays upon the couch playing a video game. I say nothing and neither does he. He is sucked into the world of Zelda.

As a chandelier falls and shatters, so does my once good mood. I am crushed, devastated, broken. My soul tears and bleeds. Thoughts race so quickly I can barely register them.

Of course he doesn’t love you. See? He never did. You’re just an annoyance…

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“The media can be a great tool for increasing public awareness about sexual violence, but it can also pose challenges for some survivors. Portrayals of sexual violence in movies, television shows, the news, and social media can prompt negative reactions, from flashbacks and anxiety to feelings of sadness or irritability. Below are a few ways to help limit your exposure to media that could prompt these uncomfortable experiences.”