myself enjoying her lively company so much.
A week into our work, our sessions were as welcome
and revitalizing as that first gulp of air finally sucked
in after pushing through perfectly chlorinated water
just prior to my lungs exploding from toying with
living submerged permanently. I considered postponing my fancy institutional quest a while longer while
I explored the depths of this new worker. This might
amuse me for some time. The thing simply got out of
hand.
-----
“I intend to do my fair share,
making the appreciation of neurodiversity more common than juice
stains in minivans.” ~ Barb
ZOOM: What made you decide to write your
incredible book I Might Be You: An Exploration of
Autism and Connection, and what lessons do you
hope people take away from it?
Barb: SS keeps meticulous daily session notes
from everyone who works with me. After filling
a few binders of my “amazing transformations,”
we figured we should share what worked and
what did not.
did so with a genuine smile. Next, fear—would she
run from the unpredictable grabs by a larger, more
menacing creature? No, the optimistically warped
doctor misinterpreted my offish assails as a friendly
yet awkward closeness gesture. The most substantial
test would take significantly more patience on my
part. I will outlast her momentary interest by evading progress. I have outlasted the best of them. This
well-intentioned do-gooder will soon retreat from my
world, and I can resume my comfortable solitude.
With any luck and decent manipulative creativity on
my part, I will be safely tucked away in a posh home
for institutionalized types by summer. That way,
everybody wins. Mom and Dad are guilt-free and can
get some rest and golf a bit. The smiling shrink (SS)
gains some well-needed experience with incorrigibles
and gets paid for her troubles. And me—well, I can
survive. No need to thrive. My mind is not a bad
place to live. Who knows, I might even find another
pot-smoking friend to help me pass the time.Well, you
could have knocked me over with a worm of floating
light (like the ones seen drifting across one’s visual
field while staring into an overcast sky) when I felt
32
ZOOM Autism through Many Lenses
There is hope for all is the takeaway. We are all
teachers. For best results teach from the heart to
the heart.
----ZOOM: We love this quote of yours: “Autism is
my Prism, not my Prison.” Can you elaborate on
that?
Barb: Yep. I plan on having t-shirts and mugs
made with that lil’ ditty. I am not alone in that
truth and intend to do my fair share, making the
appreciation of neurodiversity more common
than juice stains in minivans.
Conner: How did the radio show ide 6