Autism Society: Friday

Friday was our final day to volunteer with the Autism Society.  The coordinator, Kim, took us out to a delicious lunch at a place called Beau Jo's pizza.  This particular pizza parlor is important to the Autism Society because they are partners.  Beau Jo's offers gluten free pizza and dairy free cheeses (Gluten is typically restricted in people with Autism).  The first Wednesday of every month Beau Jo's and the Autism Society host an Autism pizza night.  Where the pizza is made according to each person's individual dietary needs and every one can feel open and make friends.  I really, REALLY, like this idea.  Within the program I work in, we have nothing like this, but we should.  So many times people with disabilities avoid social situations because they are afraid of being different.  Here they don't have to worry about that. Everyone is comfortable with it and I love that concept.  I wish I could somehow do something like that around here because it is essential for little children to learn social skills and to make friends. 

After lunch we went back to the Autism Society's office to finish our filing task that we had started on Tuesday. Kim allowed us to watch a film while we worked to make the job go by quicker (even though we had most of it done). We watched Temple Grandin, which was a movie about a girl with Autism who saw in pictures and used her wonderful mind to get a Masters degree in animal science and invented the most effective cattle slaughter house.  I had never seen this film before, but fell in love with it.  Most people see a disability as something to hold them back, however, not Temple! She is so motivating, she used her disability to her advantage and became very successful. She has even written two books (which are what the movie was based on) that I am dying to read!