Girl Scout Gold Award: Autism Awareness

This is a project I intend to do for my Girl Scout gold award.

[mostar1219]

It's been a while since Ive updated on here, but better late than never. I've been working on a playlist on YouTube involving a combination of videos I've uploaded and seen that either make me think of autism or are about autism directly. I'll continue updating the playlist whenever I can and I hope you enjoy

[mostar1219]

Be sure to check out Carly Fleischmann on the interwebs. She has an incredible story and dream.

[mostar1219]

The World's Need of Color

A melting pot. Isn't this an intended vision of America? Diversity. Colorful. Filled with possibilities. Exploding with voices. The world is meant to contain all. Multiple dreams that can build hope for generations to come. Voices that lead to thresholds to world variations. Exposed strength from people we look up to That can throw fear and alienation out the window. Once again, though, the thundering of Calivers and their cousins Silences the dreams of the "freaks of nature". We're in an era where Dr. King's dreams should come true; Where more communities are to be discovered and celebrated. However, if we shine the spotlight on our potential, If we tattoo a smile on what makes us different, If we know there's more for us than cookie cutters That turn us into the dull that's accepted, Then superiors who breath power like air Suffocate us in hopelessness To remind us that they have control. The only diversity that they would accept Are the varying methods to scare us away from their power. Peaceful reminders that women should vote? Women are arrested when the hating rose the shouting. People have colors on their skin And no weapons in their palms? A shove in cells and graves is necessary. The heteronorm is too snug and unappealing? Shoving bullets and Prince-princess stories down your throat And sprinkling markings of Violet and indigo Should give you a change of heart! Mentally different makes glasses showing more of the world? A peck from the concrete says those views are wrong. We're all a varying cluster of wildflowers, But the gardeners see us as weeds And spray us away till we're a wasteland Containing wilts and well-worns. But all that matters is the norm keeps control, right? If nature wanted nothing but blank canvases, Most of us would be pulled back to Earth Without the help of those scared of no control. We've got the different grays and mixes, We've got the blues and peaceful reds, We've got more colors yet to be discovered. Let's pull the pistols away And pick up brushes in their place To Van Gogh the beauty the world truly deserves.

[mostar1219]

[keysofshadowandlight]

[mostar1219]

To anyone ashamed of being different in any kind of way, this quote might be a good way to lift your spirits

[mostar1219]

I came across this song and I feel like it does shine light on the fact that bringing love to the whole of the world could make the future brighter. Love towards orientations, race, gender identities, developmental capabilities, basically the whole nine yards

[mostar1219]

[monique-star]

Yes, I have a book out as of a few days ago. The link is here: http://www.amazon.com/The-Perfect-World-Monique-Star-ebook/dp/B016SGEGN6/ref=dp_kinw_strp_1 and the story itself involves a bit of diversity awareness, fantasy, and a bit of an enchantment that is an equivalent to what we know as autism/Asperger’s. Be sure to get the book and spread the word about it. Writing is one of my dreams and this is really cool.

[micdotcom]

Meet Julia, Sesame Street’s new character with autism 

As part of a new campaign called Sesame Street and Autism: See Amazing in All Children, the long-running children’s show introduced a Julia, a girl living with autism, in an online storybook. In the book, Elmo teaches Abby about Julia and autism. This story is just one part of the Sesame Street initiative to fight autism stigma.

[orangememesicle]

I’m tearing up because I didn’t have any autistic representation growing up, let alone representation of autistic girls. 

[mostar1219]

[wildflowerhowell]

So my English teacher has a bunch of quotes on her ceiling and this is one of them

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I made this video with a goal of expressing my thoughts and hopes for diversity. I explain a bit of my thoughts of diversity in the beginning before showing the edit.

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People of any kind can express themselves without being put down by labels "No boxes. No labels. #UncommonSense w/ Charlamagne Tha God"

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Pressure into normality

This isn't a post about just one particular group, this is a post about everyone. I've seen plenty of stuff that goes on on and off line. There are multiple people that come from multiple branches of diversity, yet there is still a massive amount of judgement and people that are still scared of what they don't understand (currently tempted to look up the name for that fear) and, thus, because of this, a lot of people, good people who would give anything to live their/our lives freely without feeling guilty over what can't be changed, set up cages for their true selves inside of them so it could be easier for them to at least pretend to "fit in". I saw a video that was definitely as emotional for the viewers as it was for the person that made the video (http://youtu.be/Eh7WRYXVh9M) and it gave me a long overdue thought. That thought is that, if the world was more accepting and understanding about what can't be changed and what might not be a part of their previous perspective of reality, then maybe there wouldn't be a reason for people to hide their uniqueness and differences and there wouldn't be as much emotional stress and fear that they have to deal with as they reveal who they really are. I've heard that "normalness leads to sadness" and, from all I've witnessed, pretending to be a part of it leads to stress, guilt, alienation, fear, and a lot of other negative emotions. So, I'd just like to say, whether it is due to mental conditions, race, class, sexual identity, beliefs, etc, it's most likely best to not implant that pressure and fear into the minds of the diverse anymore.

[mostar1219]

This is an amazing thing I've come across. I was definitely able to relate and I hope it allows plenty of people to understand

[aspieangles]

are people born with autism? or can you gain more traits as you grow older?

People are born with Autism. However, some people observe a type of “Autistic Regression” sometimes. I think this is due to the surroundings of an Autistic individual, and not so much a “regression” (ie: showing more/stronger traits) as life goes on.

MusingsOfAnAspie has a good article on this. She talks about why the word “regression” isn’t an accurate one, and also discusses why “Autistic Regression” happens.

[mostar1219]

I'm still spreading autism awareness and acceptance and, since we all want to celebrate the variety of differences that makes us all unique, I figured I could make a youtuber vine edit with the "light it up blue" song to bring depth to the diversity.