Rhoda Wolfe's Blog
August 31, 2015
Dinosaurs and Broccoli
Another thing about autistic people is that we have special interests. This is where we intensely study a certain subject until we are satisfied that we have all the information on said subject. This could be a favorite animal, book, plant, or any number of things. Some parents worry that their child's special interest will prevent them from relating to the outside world. However, these interests can be used to make the outside world more interesting and relatable to an autistic person. Let me illustrate.
Up until second grade, I went to public school, but I knew from kindergarten there was a reason I didn't like it there. Actually, fifteen reasons: and each of them was a different classmate. Kindergarten was where I first learned I was different, so it was an odd year for me. Still, I loved learning... especially about dinosaurs.
Seriously, is there any five-year-old who doesn't like dinosaurs? My favorite was the brachyasauorus, the one with the really long neck. That became my special interest that year, and I didn't just like the brachyasauorus... in my mind, I was one.
I stared into the mirror and stretched my neck out as far as I could. I smiled in satisfaction as I convinced myself that my neck was getting longer. Now, these long necked dinosaurs ate the leaves from trees, so imagine my excitement when I realized there was a short fruit tree in our yard.
I walked up to the tree and stretched out my neck just like a dinosaur and grabbed a leaf with my mouth. I pulled it from the twig, triumphant, and chewed the leaf. My triumph turned to disgust, and I spit out the leaf, wondering what I was thinking. It tasted like dirt. Well, I couldn't eat a leaf from the tree, so my dreams of being a dinosaur were shattered.
A few nights later, while my family was eating dinner, I noticed a strange vegetable on my plate. Before this moment, I was against trying new things. But that night, when I stared at that piece of broccoli, I realized something: it looked just like a tree. Without giving a thought to what it would taste like, I took a large bite and smiled. I was eating off a "tree" just like a brachyasauorus.
To this day, I love broccoli. So remember, a special interest can give your child a unique perspective, and can actually encourage them to try new things.
Up until second grade, I went to public school, but I knew from kindergarten there was a reason I didn't like it there. Actually, fifteen reasons: and each of them was a different classmate. Kindergarten was where I first learned I was different, so it was an odd year for me. Still, I loved learning... especially about dinosaurs.
Seriously, is there any five-year-old who doesn't like dinosaurs? My favorite was the brachyasauorus, the one with the really long neck. That became my special interest that year, and I didn't just like the brachyasauorus... in my mind, I was one.
I stared into the mirror and stretched my neck out as far as I could. I smiled in satisfaction as I convinced myself that my neck was getting longer. Now, these long necked dinosaurs ate the leaves from trees, so imagine my excitement when I realized there was a short fruit tree in our yard.
I walked up to the tree and stretched out my neck just like a dinosaur and grabbed a leaf with my mouth. I pulled it from the twig, triumphant, and chewed the leaf. My triumph turned to disgust, and I spit out the leaf, wondering what I was thinking. It tasted like dirt. Well, I couldn't eat a leaf from the tree, so my dreams of being a dinosaur were shattered.
A few nights later, while my family was eating dinner, I noticed a strange vegetable on my plate. Before this moment, I was against trying new things. But that night, when I stared at that piece of broccoli, I realized something: it looked just like a tree. Without giving a thought to what it would taste like, I took a large bite and smiled. I was eating off a "tree" just like a brachyasauorus.
To this day, I love broccoli. So remember, a special interest can give your child a unique perspective, and can actually encourage them to try new things.
August 21, 2015
Suzie and the Day I Told Off Blake
Sometimes, it's hard for autistic people to make friends. People prejudge us, call us weird, and ignore us. However, when we make a friend, we become fiercely loyal to that person. Let me tell you about Suzie*.
When I was thirteen, we met with a homeschool group every week. At first, I was nervous about joining, but I already knew two of the boys in the group, Aaron and Trevor. Their sister Suzie was too young to join, but after school, she and I would hang out and watch Phantom of the Opera. She had excellent taste in musicals.
Now, I didn't know the other two boys before joining the group, but I quickly learned that Jordan liked to talk fast and loud, and that Blake enjoyed annoying Suzie and me. Usually, I didn't mind Blake's antics, because we would occasionally have water-balloon fights after school, and I got my sweet revenge then. Let me tell you, that's a good form of anger management.
Well, one day after school, Suzie was angry and upset about something. Apparently, Blake had just told her "I hope you choke." I've heard worse insults, but at that point I was fuming. "How dare he speak to my friend that way!" I thought. So I told Suzie to follow me, and I stormed to her older brother's room, where all the boys were.
"Blake, what did you say to Suzie?" I asked with a menacing voice. He ignored me. "Did you just tell her I hope you choke?" I got in his face. Now, I was the shortest person in the group, and I was the only girl, but Aaron, Trevor, and Jordon were shaking. "If I ever catch you talking to her like that again..." I don't remember exactly what I threatened, because my brain kind of went on auto-pilot. I only really remember my emotions. I was furious, and I spoke in a growl as if I were some kind of animal.
When I was done, I stormed off to watch Phantom of the Opera with Suzie.
I didn't find out until later that I had completely terrified all four of those boys, and after five years, Jordan still tells the story to everyone he meets. That day, I earned the fear--and respect--of my homeschool group.
So next time you find yourself talking to an autistic person, try to look past the quirks, and take a genuine interest in them. If you become their friend, they will loyally defend you.
*Names have been changed.
When I was thirteen, we met with a homeschool group every week. At first, I was nervous about joining, but I already knew two of the boys in the group, Aaron and Trevor. Their sister Suzie was too young to join, but after school, she and I would hang out and watch Phantom of the Opera. She had excellent taste in musicals.
Now, I didn't know the other two boys before joining the group, but I quickly learned that Jordan liked to talk fast and loud, and that Blake enjoyed annoying Suzie and me. Usually, I didn't mind Blake's antics, because we would occasionally have water-balloon fights after school, and I got my sweet revenge then. Let me tell you, that's a good form of anger management.
Well, one day after school, Suzie was angry and upset about something. Apparently, Blake had just told her "I hope you choke." I've heard worse insults, but at that point I was fuming. "How dare he speak to my friend that way!" I thought. So I told Suzie to follow me, and I stormed to her older brother's room, where all the boys were.
"Blake, what did you say to Suzie?" I asked with a menacing voice. He ignored me. "Did you just tell her I hope you choke?" I got in his face. Now, I was the shortest person in the group, and I was the only girl, but Aaron, Trevor, and Jordon were shaking. "If I ever catch you talking to her like that again..." I don't remember exactly what I threatened, because my brain kind of went on auto-pilot. I only really remember my emotions. I was furious, and I spoke in a growl as if I were some kind of animal.
When I was done, I stormed off to watch Phantom of the Opera with Suzie.
I didn't find out until later that I had completely terrified all four of those boys, and after five years, Jordan still tells the story to everyone he meets. That day, I earned the fear--and respect--of my homeschool group.
So next time you find yourself talking to an autistic person, try to look past the quirks, and take a genuine interest in them. If you become their friend, they will loyally defend you.
*Names have been changed.
August 15, 2015
Nice to meet you!
Hello, I'm Rhoda Wolfe. I have a form of autism known as Asperger's syndrome, and I've learned a lot about how to relate to people over the years. As the name of my blog implies, I love tea and consider myself to be British at heart.
I also love animals, desserts, old music, and science fiction. My reason for making this blog is to teach others about what autism actually is, and how people with autism can lead successful lives. I want to do this by sharing some humorous experiences of my own to show what I've learned.
I also have two books on amazon: "The Autistic, the Racer, and the Test Subject", and "The Distracted composer". These are science fiction books for children, each featuring an autistic main character.
See you later!
I also love animals, desserts, old music, and science fiction. My reason for making this blog is to teach others about what autism actually is, and how people with autism can lead successful lives. I want to do this by sharing some humorous experiences of my own to show what I've learned.
I also have two books on amazon: "The Autistic, the Racer, and the Test Subject", and "The Distracted composer". These are science fiction books for children, each featuring an autistic main character.
See you later!
