Fall 2023 Newsletter October 2023 | Page 7

FALL NEWSLETTER

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Who will do the laundry?  is an expression of grief concentrated into a plea that really captures the questions, "What is life without them? How do I go on?"

When an autistic person demonstrates grief in this concrete form, a non-autistic person may perceive a lack of empathy. In turn, the autistic mourner may feel that others have no empathy for their despair, depending on their reaction to the overwhelming question. 

My friend’s description of the laundry room scene illustrates his father deeply grieving with echoes of Who will do the laundry?   quietly implied. In both cases, it’s not about the laundry. It is about the loss. 

Future Planning Conference 2023

The Achieva Family Trust, in collaboration with Autism Connection of PA, held the Future Planning Conference 2023 on October 5th at the Allegheny County Intermediate Unit. The theme of the conference was Empowering People on the Autism Spectrum. If you were unable to attend vitrually or in person, the conference is available to view online.

Watch the Recording of the Future Planning Conference