Elijah
Tuesday, January 1, 2008

I'm on the spectrum

I’m 17 years old and in the 11th grade. I’m very involved in stand-up comedy and performance. I used to spend a lot of time memorizing and telling jokes from joke books, like the Aspie that I am. Now I write and perform my own original material. My stage name is Mr. Inevitable.

Over the years, I have had many academic challenges in school, mainly because I have auditory processing delays. For me, learning by doing has always been the better path. Visual supports, charts, graphs, timelines and calendars have always helped me a lot in understanding assignments and expectations, but I have learned the most from performing. It’s made me able to communicate with others better, and I feel more confident about myself socially.

I have grown a lot in my ability to travel and do things independently. Every weekend, I take the bus to New York City (90 miles away from home), spend the night at a friend’s apartment and go to a full-day of acting workshops. At first, it was scary to make this trip, but now I know my way around and like going to rowdy Manhattan whenever I get the opportunity.

To be on the autism spectrum is to be on the margin of mainstream society. As I have gotten older and my passion for comedy and music has developed, my parents have been encouraging. They want me to “go for it” and focus on my strengths. I enjoy performing at comedy clubs and at conferences devoted to autism and other disabilities. I like reaching out to our community and letting parents and professionals know how important it is celebrate our strengths!