• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Geek Club Books

Autism Education, Awareness, Acceptance, Advocacy

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Home
  • About
    • Autism Storytelling for Hope and Change
    • Speaking
    • Creative Team & Educational Specialists
    • Advisory Board
    • Our Benefactors
    • Press
    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclaimer
  • Blog
    • All Articles and Interviews
    • Articles By Author
  • Families
    • Welcome Autism Families!
    • Autism Resources Bundle!
    • Freebies
    • Mighty League Autism Moms
  • Educators
    • Welcome Educators!
    • Autism EDU
    • Bluebee TeeVee, Autism Information Station
    • School Visits
  • Comics
    • Autism Comics Overview
    • Autism in Real Life Comic
    • Autism Spectrum Comic
    • End Awareness Comic
    • Understanding Autism Comic
    • Mighty League 1: Autistic Hero Comic
    • Mighty League 2: Autistic Hero Comic Book
  • Resources
    • How to Find Resources
    • Asking Autistics
    • Autistic Self-care
    • Amazon Autism Book Shop
    • What is Autism?
    • Books By Autistic Authors
    • What is Autism Awareness?
    • Autism Glossary
    • Autism Myths
    • Autistic or Person with Autism?
    • Speech and Language
    • Autism Business Ideas
  • Zoom Magazine
    • Issue 18: The Black Autistic Experience
    • Issue 17: Health
    • Issue 16: Travel
    • Issue 15: Powerful Women
    • Issue 14: Trailblazers
    • Issue 13: Family
  • Take Action
    • How to Advocate for Autism
      • #Activate4Autism
      • Activator Heroes
    • Make a Difference
  • Contact
  • Donate

Why Autism Gives Me the Strength to Fly!

February 7, 2017 By Jodi Murphy Leave a Comment

Share on TwitterShare on FacebookShare on PinterestShare on LinkedInShare on RedditShare on WhatsApp

Why autism gives me the strength to fly

By Megan Amodeo

In just a few short days I will turn the chapter and enter year number 44 of my life. It has been 8 years since two of my three children were diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders. It has been 8 years since I was also deemed as an autistic mom, wife and woman.

I started to think about all the things in my life that have changed or been altered by our autism diagnoses. I honestly felt a huge sense of relief the moment my daughters were diagnosed. That may sound strange to typical parents, but I have never been typical. I finally felt validated.  Years of stress and struggle finally ended for me. You see many teachers and family members, thought my daughters were poorly behaved and strange. I never thought they were even remotely different, because they did some of the same things I did.

I felt free when I received my diagnosis.

Finally, I was free from all the previous 30 plus years of trying to be normal. I struggled with everything involving social interactions all throughout my childhood. My parents were abusive and indifferent towards me. They constantly prompted me to act like other children. Emotional and verbal abuse were my constant companions while living under my parents’ roof.

Learning that I am autistic gave me the relief I sought from trying to be like everyone else. My happiness was short lived when, once again, my parents shunned me for being different. At the age of 37, my parents disowned me. They refused to accept me and my daughters. They chose not to accept our autism.

I became an orphan of sorts.

My parents felt autism was a diagnosis reserved for only severe nonverbal children with repetitive behaviors. Surely a person such as myself would never be classified as being on the spectrum. After all, I had a job, I was married and had three children. My parents would not accept that autism is on a spectrum and that every autistic individual is different. We may have similarities, but we are not all identical.

So, in my mid-thirties, I became an orphan. My parents have not had any kind of contact with me or my children in almost 8 years. They are not dead but they cannot live with our autism.

The loss of my parents has brought clarity to my life. I no longer have to pretend to be someone I am not.  Gone are my parents negative comments about my behavior. I am free from their verbal and emotional abuse. My daughters have the freedom to be themselves without judgement.

Autism gives me strength to fly!

I have discovered that not only can I live with autism, but I can thrive. I can have it all. Autism does not bind me in chains. It gives me the strength to fly! I am a joyful person. I can do anything.

Autism is not the monster my parents made it out to be. While I will never look back at my childhood with starry-eyed memories, I did learn some important life skills. I am fiercely independent and strong willed.

My own daughters will:

  • NEVER receive the harsh parenting I experienced.
  • NEVER be expected to act normal.
  • NEVER face abuse because of who they are.
Autism isn’t a dirty little secret.

Autism is not grounds for punishment in my house. And it isn’t a dirty little secret to be hidden in shame.

The world is not always kind to those of us that are unique. I still face criticism and prejudice from peers. There will always be someone who just doesn’t understand (or doesn’t want to understand) me. I have learned that autism is who I am. It is part of me and my family. It is a gift and not a curse. Autism has shown me the beauty of life. It has given me back my voice.

I will stand up for those who are different, unique and maybe just a little too out of the ordinary. Please teach your children that autism is a beautiful view from a beautiful mind.

Read about Megan

If you liked this essay, you may also like:

  • Do People Really Believe You Can Outgrown Autism?
  • Autism: To Tell or Not to Tell?

Here are some great resource pages:

  • How to Find Autism Resources
  • What is Autism?
  • What is Autism Awareness?
  • Common Autism Myths
Share on TwitterShare on FacebookShare on PinterestShare on LinkedInShare on RedditShare on WhatsApp

Filed Under: Autism Insider, Blog Haps, Penfriend Project Autism Columns Tagged With: autism advocate, autism insider, autism writer, Megan Amodeo

About Jodi Murphy

Jodi Murphy is the founder of Geek Club Books, a registered nonprofit committed to creating a world where autistic individuals are fully accepted, valued and have a voice. Her priority is bringing autistic individuals creative and leadership opportunities that are meaningful, empowering and support their advocacy. She works with a creative autistic team to produce pop culture-based autism awareness education that is innovative, engaging, positive and opens hearts and minds to a new way of thinking about autism. Sign up for Geek Club Books mailing list for free apps, resource guides, curriculum, audio stories and more: https://geekclubbooks.com/autism-bundle.

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Join Our Neurodiverse Community:

Read Our Current Issue:

Search

Latest

  • Can a Children’s Book Make You (and Your Kids) More Curious about Space?
  • Why My Autistic Daughter’s College Experience will be Better than Mine
  • Why I’m Letting Go to Let My Transformation Happen
  • #AskingAutistics: What Triggers Your Meltdowns?
  • #ReadYourWorld – How Does It Feel to Have Sensory Differences?

Topics

  • 501c3 Mission (8)
  • Anxiety (8)
  • App & Product Reviews (12)
  • Autimisms (29)
  • Autism Acceptance (13)
  • Autism at Work (9)
  • Autism Entrepreneurs (17)
  • Autism Resources (6)
  • Blog Haps (543)
  • Buzz (6)
  • Classroom (15)
  • Curious Interviews (118)
  • Day in the Life (9)
  • Dorktales (4)
  • Impactful Blogs (9)
  • Labels (4)
  • Love (5)
  • Mighty League (31)
  • Neurodiversity (2)
  • Our Personal Autism Journey (28)
  • Penfriend Project Autism Columns (221)
    • Adriana's Awesome Autistic Book Lists (2)
    • Aspierations (16)
    • Autism Insider (77)
    • Autistic Speaks (27)
    • Being Brave (26)
    • Chloe Rothschild (3)
    • Fidgets and Fries (3)
    • Happy Aspie (9)
    • My Shaynanigans (8)
    • Neurodivergent Rebel (21)
    • Positively Autistic (17)
    • Proud Autistic Living (6)
    • Tud Sense (5)
  • Pop Culture (8)
  • Safety (8)
  • Self-Care (7)
  • Self-Esteem (3)
  • Self-Improvement (10)
  • Sensory Needs (10)
  • Social Skills (4)
  • Speech and Language (6)
  • Tell Us Your Story (29)
  • Zoom Autism (64)

Footer

Stay Connected

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Copyright © 2021 Geek Club Books

To improve your experience on our site we may use cookies. Find out more.