I Should Say That Out Loud

In this episode, Donna Brendel shares an overview of her book, "Autistic Revelations: Body Edition," which explores her head-to-toe surgeries and the life lessons she learned from them. She discusses the physical and emotional scars she carries and the importance of speaking up for oneself. Donna shares tid-bits of each chapter, including additional content not found in the book. She highlights a range of topics, from the significance of finding shoes that fit properly to the impact of her surgeries on her ability to interact with her children, from the genetic aspect of bone spurs to the challenges of living with autism. Throughout the episode, Donna emphasizes the need to share her story to raise awareness about autism and inspire others.

In this episode, Donna Brendel shares her thoughts on various topics, including her writing journey, her love for nature and outdoor activities, and the concept of the mycelial network. She also discusses her memoir and the importance of self-care. Donna then explores the book 'The Reason I Jump' by Naoki Higashida and highlights the connection between nature and autistic health. She emphasizes the need for understanding and giving autistic individuals the time and space to explore new things.

After a long break since Season 2 I'm ready to launch Season 3 of I Should Say That Out Loud and announce my first memoir Autistic Revelations: Body Edition - What My Head-to-Toe Surgeries Have Taught Me About Life and Autism. I will be sharing excerpts from my book this season as well as inviting guests to share about the fascinating way that autism affects our bodies.

Have you ever struggled in the workplace? I had a marvelous time interviewing my first guest this season, Genie Love, who is a Neurodiversity Coach for businesses, organizations and individuals. The topics we discussed, including the three pillars of her program, especially mindfulness, as well as other topics, are beneficial for anyone with autism, ADHD and/or ADD. And I think even neurotypical folks will find her advice helpful as well.

What do I mean when I say, "I Should Say That Out Loud"? what exactly should I say out loud? This is the topic of this month's theme. And this week I talk about things I believe we should say to protect ourselves.

It's difficult for me and for many people with autism to say certain things that are needed to be said in order to protect ourselves. I only learned how to stand up for myself as I raised my children. My love for them gave me the courage and boldness to stand up for them. And then as I realized that I'm worthy of loving myself as much as I love my children, I finally found the courage to say difficult things in order to protect myself out loud as well.

It's taken me decades to learn these important verbal skills. It's not easy, but it's possible.

I'm so excited to tell you about my new sponsor!

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Happy April! I'm so pleased to finally be able to join in on the celebration of Autism Awareness and Acceptance Month after some poorly timed technical difficulties.

This week I finish up unpacking all the many ways that autism affects me on a daily basis. I talk about things like not knowing how to dress properly for certain events, fidgeting, adjusting my clothes, adjusting myself in a chair, taking a long time to transition between events, forgetting what I'm shopping for if I don't make a list, and more.

When a friend asked me recently how autism affects me on a daily basis I knew it wasn't a simple or quick answer. 

I needed time to think about it and pay attention to daily life for a while to really wrap my head around all the many ways I'm affected by autism every day and be able to thoroughly answer that question.  

This episode is part 1 of that answer, which was much too long to post in a single episode. 

Even to list the ways autism affects me in a simple bullet point list wouldn't do them justice. 

They take explanation just to understand what I mean by them.  

If you can relate to this episode or list of ways that autism can affect someone, please share your thoughts. 

I'd love to hear your perspective! 

Thank you so much for tuning in.

This is the second most difficult episode for me, after episode 4. 

I left the emotion in again to be authentic and show how remembering trauma can affect someone. 

There's nothing graphic in this episode, but it may possibly trigger others to hear my story. I recall emotionally abusive treatment I received from my band director, which is common for people with autism to experience from any range of people. 

I would encourage you to watch Orion Kelly's video on "Mate Crime: Why Autistic People Are Targeted and How to Stop It." I had no concept of emotional abuse until fairly recently in my life. I believe it should be talked about more and to younger people so that it can be stopped and even prevented.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Gpz_DfMiDM&t=48s (link to Orion Kelly's video mentioned above)  

Once I recover from the brain block I experienced during this recording, keep listening, because I'm able to remember the good aspects of my high school band experience, namely the leadership skills I realized and grew into during that time. 

Who knew that people with autism could be leaders, especially in a mixed group of neurotypical and neurodivergent people!