Autism Pride
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The Quizzical Case of the Roadside Squirrel
This is KW14 local news with your host, Ronald Cloud, alongside reporter Rebecca Snite. Tonight, we report on a local theater and poetry prodigy whose foray into amateur detective work yields unexpected results: Rowan Finch, 13, is well known in the community for reciting Shakespeare, writing original plays and poetry, and performing with the…
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Why I Arrive Late to Events: A Personal Reflection
I was recently asked why I tend to arrive late to in-person events. The individual who posed the question habitually arrives 15 to 30 minutes early. I will readily concede that arriving early is preferable to my own pattern of being five to fifteen minutes late, depending on the significance of the occasion. If the…
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The Importance of Truth Telling in Family Dynamics
Being called “high functioning” with autism feels odd to me because how well someone does often depends on their environment. This label can give a false sense of security and, if not considered carefully, might make someone feel separate from or even above others with disabilities. I’ve always felt fortunate to be able to drive,…
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Neighborliness, Inclusion, and the Everyday Work of Disability Advocacy
The story of the good Samaritan illustrates a core value in my faith tradition: the importance of caring for others regardless of closeness or personal bias. Often, the focus is on the Samaritan’s compassion, but I am most fascinated by the priest and Levite who passed by. Jesus intentionally made the victim and those who…
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Building a Supportive Community in Life
I joke that I’ve always been the same person. My opinions on certain topics have changed over the years, but when I reflect, so many things have stayed the same. I never liked wearing anything that showed a lot of skin. I don’t judge people with a more adventurous sense of style than I do;…
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Mindfulness and Rest: Keys to Productivity
Growing up, I joined egg hunts in the field behind the clubhouse, which hosted my early birthday parties and all the swim meets because it shared space with the pool. Each family contributed as many eggs as their children would collect. I always hoped to find the egg with the twenty-dollar bill hidden by HOA…
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Navigating Sibling Dynamics with Disabilities
As a young child, I visited a museum that told the story behind Eunice Kennedy Shriver’s founding of the Special Olympics and the inspiration her sister, Rosemary, was to the organization’s establishment. How wonderful, I marvelled to have a sister who loves you so much that they started a nonprofit that serves people around the…
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Easter Reflections: How Grief and Love Intertwine
When I was reading the seventh Harry Potter book, there was a quote from William Penn’s More Fruits of Solitude in the front of the book before you begin the actual book. The quote struck me as a child as absurd: “Death is but crossing the world, as friends do the seas; they live in…
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Choosing Values, Facing Consequences: Reflections on Character and True Crime
I enjoy reading a wide variety of books, and two months ago I read one that made the opposite arguments. The first was On Character by General Stanley McChrystal. I would encourage everyone to read the book, but I would summarize its premise as choosing your values deliberately and living by them consistently. The general’s…
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Finding Peace in Nature: A Personal Journey
I grew up in northeast Georgia, where climbing a tree in our yard revealed the foothills of the mountains. Digging in the yard turned up Georgia red clay that made gardening tough and stained clothes. My mom would joke that we lived within a few hours’ drive of both the beach and the mountains. I…
Living on the Spectrum 