“One positive result of living with a mother
with sensory and cognitive difficulties is that
my children have a great sense of humor!”
age amongst young boys when they discover
joke and riddle books. This means that I have
had nearly a decade of practice in understanding
humor! What’s invisible and smells like carrots?
Bunny farts! Oh yes, little boy humor is amazing!
As for me, I have begun giving myself little gifts.
I eat my food the way I want to—in orderly patterns, one color at a time, and often with a spoon
as I am still dyslexic. I wear clothing in unusual
combinations. I carry fidgets like smooth stones
or Silly Putty® in my pockets, and I am uncon-
Do you have an informative story about what it is like
to be YOU, an autistic person, that you would like to
share? Send your 800 word or less first-person essay
to [email protected] with “Zoom-IN” in the
subject line for consideration.
cerned about taking them out when they are
needed. My greatest gift, though, is my life with
my family. When I have a meltdown, they love
me. When I wear weird clothing, they love me.
When I cannot stand to be touched or hugged,
they blow me kisses. When I do not get their
jokes, they explain them and then actually repeat
them so that I get to laugh along with them. They
are my “anchors,” my examples of loving behavior that I can reflect back to others in my community. Because of them, after 54 years on planet
Earth, I finally feel like it’s a safe place, like home.
CarolAnn Edscorn has a BFA in performing
arts and an MS in Public Policy Analysis with
advanced graduate work in autism. She has
been a keynote speaker and has created and
implemented workshops for educators, paraprofessionals and parents. CarolAnn, who was
diagnosed with autism in1995, resides with her
husband and youngest son, having launched four
older children, two of whom are on the spectrum; and travels with
Shakespeare, her service dog, who she trained—mostly.
Zoom Autism Through Many Lenses
11