Autism and Trying Something New...

Hey guys! I know it's been a while since I last blogged on here but I've been super, super busy! Now that I have a free moment to myself, I thought I should get on here and talk to guys about something.

Today I'm going to be talking about Autism and trying something new.

I did a blog last year about the changes aspect of this topic, but I felt that I should write about this topic because they go hand-in-hand.

In the world, everyone has their own personal preference for a lot of things. Their clothes, hair, shoes, food, stuff like that. However, there's that one person whose specialty is peer pressure, and you're in a surrounding that isn't your personal preference, that's outside your comfort zone. That person's saying "Try it, you'll like it." And you feel compelled to try it.

For people like you, that seems really easy. But for people with Autism, like me, it's much harder than it sounds. We like our comfort zone, our little bubble. We like the way things are. It's hard trying something new because it's different to us and it throws us off, a lot.

If you don't understand, I'll give you a great example. Up until my 19th birthday in 2014, I HATED roller coasters. I never went on one, I would see the loops, the speed, and all that noise, and I'm like, "Nope. No way I'm doing that." On my birthday, we went to Cedar Point to celebrate. My sister, her boyfriend (now husband) and brother were persuading me to try riding The Gatekeeper. I kept asking if it was smooth and if there were a lot of turns, you know, the typical. After about 10 minutes, I said "I'll go if dad goes." So we waited, and I went on. I actually turned 19 on that ride, believe it or not. So, I rode the coaster, and I absolutely LOVED it!! It took a while, about 15 years to convince me to go on a roller coaster, but I did and I love them.

I also didn't like parties at all when I was a kid. To this day, I still don't like going to parties because of the issues related to my Autism. Too much commotion, and people, and chaos, and noise. I still have a problem with birthday and regular parties, but thankfully, my mom has set places for me to go in for a few minutes to calm down if my sensory issues are being berserkers, so it's not that big of an issue. But knowing my family and friends are there with me makes everything better.

Let's not forget the candle issue. For the longest time, I was afraid of candles. Yes, candles. Don't judge me. One day, I told my mom that I want to try blowing out a candle to see if I could handle it. So, on a Saturday in March, I was going back and forth about it. Did I really want to do this? So, I decided that I needed to do this, alone. So, I tried it, and now, I want to blow those suckers out every time I see a lit candle.

Funny how when you try things and see that it's not so bad, you start to like it. But, some things never change. I still like my bubble. I have my sensory issues when it comes to going places and foods and stuff like that. I'm still not the biggest fan of going to parties (Autism issues), I like doing things the same, I still like wearing dresses and nightgowns more than sweat pants and jeans. I'm a picky kid, ask my mom. She'll 100% agree with me.

Honestly, I HATE trying something new, because it's different. The constant judgement, ridicule, and bullying I received as a child and teen left me with one message: different is bad. Be careful what you say, you never know who could be listening. I like keeping things the same, and after a long time of doing the same things over and over, the more I become relaxed and used to it. Any sudden change throws me off.

Moral of the blog: Autistic people are struggling to trying something new. Help them. Encourage them. And even if they don't like it, accept them for their Autism and who they are.

Well, guys, until next time...

Autism and...Public Speaking?

Hey guys!! It's Taylor, again.

I hope you guys had a great Autism Awareness Day. I sure did! I went to the mall with my mom, and I even got a "Through My Autistic Eyes" video from it. I can't wait to share that with you guys, so look forward to that next week.

Also, I have released the video of my story! So far, I've gotten an incredible positive response, so thank you all very much for that.

Now, onto today's topic...public speaking.

This is something I've been wanting to talk about for a long time. Autism and public speaking, like every topic associated with public speaking, go hand-in-hand with one another. It's something that I feel should be talked about from both experience and opinion.

I have spoken publicly before. I spoke to my class in February 2015, and April 2015. The actual speaking part is the easiest, I'm saying that right now. The difficult part is figuring out what I'm going to say, how I'm going to address what I'm saying, the words I use, how to connect with the people I'm speaking to, what volume and tone I'm going to be using, simple stuff like that. A lot goes into speaking in front of people.

The first time I spoke publicly in April of 2015, I was so excited, but very nervous. It was my first time speaking publicly and I didn't know what to expect. I spoke at a church of a friend of my dad's, and I had my notes, I had my practices alone in my room, I was ready to go. The nerves kicked in as I was walking up to the stage, but as soon as I got up there, I felt so comfortable. After I was done, I realized that it was actually pretty awesome.

After that first speaking opportunity, I had a passion for speaking. I loved it that much. The coolest thing is seeing first hand the impact you're making on so many lives. When people came up to me and said thank you for what I said and sharing my story, it made me feel good. Really good.

I haven't been speaking much since mainly because of my school schedule that I had. Now that I'm taking a break from school, I have some time on my hands, and I can speak some more.

Would I love to public speak again in the future? YES, I'd love to. I love connecting with people and sharing my story. If someone were to ask me to do it again, I'd have to consult my mom first, but I would absolutely say yes. I have this passion to speak publicly, and it's worth it. The stress, rehearsals, restless nights, note redo's, and the nerves are all worth it. That's because I know I've made a difference in someone's life in one way or another.

Talk to you guys, later!! :)