I really started blogging cos mum and Doctor Duffy called me an Ambassador for Autism.
Dr Duffy said she once say this boy who was at college in Scotland and he gave a talk to Doctors on Autism and she said he was proud to be autistic and that she had learned so much more from him than any other speaker ever about Autism.
At first i didn’t know what an Ambassador was, but i had doctor Duffy a piece of work of mine. It was a fact file about me when i was ten. She read it and she asked could she allow other people to read it. I said yeah, no bother. She said it would be helpful if a child didn’t like having autism.
Mum and i talked about an ambassador – and it is someone who stands up for something and are a good example of the something.
The 2 ambassadors i know who have Asperger’s are Temple Grandin and Adam Harris.
We heard Adam Harris on the radio and i thought he was a really example of of an autistic person being able to do what he wants. He sounded really happy, and really normal and not really nervous. It showed he must have had parents like mine who helped him deal with things.
I know loads of geniuses who had autism cos they were able to think outside the box and concentrate on what small but powerful things they wanted to. Like Einstein, Mozart, Mark Zuckerberg Bill Gates, and they all did things out of the ordinary that they thought would be great. Like Mark Zuckerberg probably made facebook cos he maybe didn’t like talking to people face to face. i don’t need to be a genius but i just want to be somebody who can do something they love and still be good at it.
I didn’t know what a blog was and mum said she would set it up and her friend @auntyAmo helped her set one up . It was for writing blogs or short paragraph bits that helped others others understand how autism feels. and if they had autism to maybe help them get used to it.And let them know that having asperger’s doesn’t mean we are gonna be less capable of doing stuff than anyone else is and we are definitely not stupid. i don’t like it being called a disorder, or a disability or a disadvantage it just means we are different. We can still have fun, have friends, do good school work, have good future chances.
i like telling my friends i have Asperger’s cos they can see i am a bit different, and then at least they understand why i am the way i am. I told my new class in one sentence…i said “i am autistic, and that’s nothing to do with how smart or dumb i am. it just makes me a bit different.” It was easy to do cos we had told the school teachers that i do like them to know, so my form teacher made everybody say what about them was different. Nobody has pick on me or bullied me or laughed at me cos of it. The boys don’t even seem to notice, i am just me.
We called it autisticandproud because that was a phrase we used to say….cos i like my condition, and am proud that i’m the way i am cos of it.
When people write really kind comments about my blog i really feel touched and it makes me think that i should do more. i can’t believe how many people have read and said nice things about it.
Adam Harris encouraged me to write a blog a day for a week and that really got me lots of peoples views. They all say i help somehow. So i will keep blogging:) and i hope it helps other Aspies.
by Fionn
Hey Fionn,
I got to read about your blog through The Journal and I really loved the article. I am a teacher of a little boy with autism and I really enjoy working with him. I especially love his honesty and am fascinated with his creativity. I think he is a whiz with computers.
I really appreciate how you explain your feelings of emotious and needing a squish. You know teachers
can do a lot of courses and read all the books but it is far more helpful to me when you describe how it feels…and it makes perfect sense.
Keep blogging….did you see how many adults you have helped?
people have been so nice that i will definitely try to keep on blogging.
it helps me to see that it helps people.
from Fionn
thank you for blogging fionn. if you cant tell i love reading your blog. you are a great example for us aspies and because of you i am more motivated to do more work for our community. i love how you can be so open with things and are not afraid to talk about issues us aspies face. your posts make me look at my self and see what changes i can make to make my self better. i am a better person because i read your blog. you have such an amazing gift fionn and you are helping so many of us with autism, more than you will ever realize. you are a amazing guy with a heart of gold. reading your blog brings me peace. so thank you for all you do!
thankyou
Hi Fionn,
I love your blog and the way you describe your perception of things….you have a way with words that is really great! I also think your Mum sounds like the best Mum ever! Take care!
i can tell you his mum is just any mum who tries to help her child. Fionn has all the challenges to face 🙂
He is so easy to love.
Helen
i’m so proud of your pride in yourself fionn. you’ve got me sitting here in the library trying to hide my tears! (tears of joy mainly, and quite general overwhelming of emotiousness)… you can help not only aspies, but any person who is just a bit different to learn to love their individuality and appreciate that it makes us who we are. i wouldn’t change a single thing about you for the world. keep up the fantastic work, keep on blogging! lots of love, from the lister sister xxx
thanks “lister sister”
and thanks its a nice comment..
i am really glad you like my blogs .
i hope reading them and keep enjoying them.
i know you now and always
from Fionn x
i sure will! i’m learning a thing or two from you. if only it sounded as catchy as “lister sister”, i should start calling you “lister brother” now too. xx
how about the “aspergers autobiographer”? is that catchy enough?
I am glad you like my blogging.
I have to go now and do a Newspaper Article….what next? Will i be interviewed on Sky TV?
i love you now and always
from Fionn x
good to see you love me now this time as well as just “know” me 😉
the asperger’s autobiographer is super, you and your way with words, you’ve done it again! can’t wait to see it in the herald – make sure mum posts me a copy!
i love you for even longer, till the end of time (and relative dimension, in space) xxx
Well Fionn,
What about ye Boy! 😉
I have been reading your blogs and I am quite impressed big lad, you’re doing rightly, keep it up.
My name is Séamus and I know your sister Cora. I am a poet living in Belfast and I reckon if your keep on writing you could make a career out of it.
It really doesn’t matter what people are, you know, we have all these labels and we call each other different things according to the slightly different levels of development we’re at but underneath it all we’re all people and there are so many more similarities than there are differences.
My nephews wee boy is Autistic as well but his Mum and Dad would not change him because he is as he was meant to be. If you keep on writing your blog you could help so many other people who are just like you by showing them how well you’re doing you could even help all people because we’re all here for a reason and no one is any better or worse than anyone else.
How you feel inside yourself and how you treat the ones who love you is what really matters.
You take care of yourself mate and keep on writing, I’ll look forward reading more of your blogs.
Séamus
thanks . that’s a really nice comment. I love the way we are all a bit different that’s what makes the world interesting. I am going to keep up blogging cos so many people have been so nice to me
from Fionn