Hello Once Again World

I never do manage to keep up with blogs, but lets try this again.

So just an introduction, I'm Shayna, a 27 year old autistic mommy of a bouncy and amazing nonverbal autistic toddler, who for the purposes of this blog, I am calling Ace. Because Ace is a freaking awesome name, and anonymity. Matt is my husband, and since his name is on this account too, I'm not going to give him a freaking awesome pseudonym.

Ace just turned 2 years old, and while he does not communicate much at all verbally, has taken to using American Sign Language as taught by Signing Time/me. Ace LOVES his ABCs, and can turn any surface, and any item into a drum or mallet. I have a feeling that music will be in my future. We'll see though :). Oh, and he climbs. on everything. Except playgrounds. Because, really, what fun is it to climb where you are supposed to?

Just getting this out of the way now, I prefer and use identity-first language. There will be many (many) blogposts in the future where I go into detail on why, but that I prefer it should be enough. So I will use identity-first when I am talking about myself, and my son, and the larger Autistic community, and I will enthusiastically agree that person-first is important to those that point it out or argue with me on this fact, and call them a person lacking autism, or person without autism. But my son and I will still be autistic. What's good for the goose is good for the gander, right? (did I use that appropriately? I think I did....)

I'm just going to use this blog to talk about my thoughts concerning life as an autistic adult, living in a neurotypical world, raising an autistic son. Some common themes are likely to be: identity-first language, social justice, Autistic rights, ableism, ABA and other therapies, and developmental milestones. Because those are always fun to celebrate!

I have no intention in raising my child to conform to society, hide his autisticness, or be shameful of his identity. I just want him to be the best autistic that he can be, and to be happy and fulfilled by whatever his life ends up looking like.

Oh, and he is still my little nursling. I'm only slightly less agitated by people insisting he is too old to nurse, than I am people saying I should say he/I have autism.

So yea, that's what to expect from me, and a bit as to who I am.