Autisticana and The Beauty Behind Our Team.

By the Autisticana Team

We wanted to write a blog to everyone to state our mission to the world. We designed this start up blog and news media company in Barbara Walter’s name.

She was our coach, Dr. Christine’s’ dear friend and mentor. Christine learned how to be a conscious leader and news reporter through her years working by her side. We are so thrilled that coach Christine has now devoted her life into helping us do the same.

We wanted everyone to know that we chose the name Autisticana , because we are autistic people and have beautiful minds. We as a team want to lift the stigma that society has placed on us with negative connotations of the name.

Autisticana in our perspective represents our curious and brilliant minds. A lot of us want to be inclusive because “ We get each other”

The world is so focused on us being with everyone. They sometimes treat us like we are aliens. We are brilliant , kind , curious and compassionate adults who are proud of who we are ! We enjoy being with like minded people, despite how their brain is wired.

We picked the name and we love it!

The Autisticana Team standing in front of a white van with the Autisticana logo on it. The logo consists of a persons face made up of different kinds of circles. The log contains the phrase "Autisticana The Nerd-Divergent News Media Company. Stop Whining, Start Doing"
Here’s some of the Autisticana team with our van!

We also love Starbucks ! We love all the details about all their different titles of all their specialty drinks! Details are our thing and creativity. Starbucks has accomplished that for us, and we are thankful.

So Autisticana and Americana rhyme! We live to rhyme! It is soothing and engages our mind into a steady state of flow.

We do not want to change!

Society want’s to change us.

We thank you coach Christine for letting us be proud of who we are , and for enhancing and launching our creativity.

As a like minded team of creative friends our mission is to investigate and write good news pieces on grass roots foundations , local stores, events , corporations , art , film and more people that are making a difference in this world.

Thank you Christine for keeping us thriving during the pandemic with our travel bloggers series.

Now we as a team are here to write a great news piece on all of you to make your lives , careers and passions be known to the world.

Covid has brought darkness to this planet. @autisticana we are here to bring back the light!

Blessings to all!

From our team at Autisticana.

FYI. Half of our team is neurotypical and we mentor them.

We are not aliens but so like a good sci-fi movie.

“ For it is not how many breaths we take but the moments that take our breath away “

This collage of photos contains images of the Autisticana team out in the community. These photos contain images of the team having fun out at our local bowling alley.
Here’s the Autisticana team out in the community learning and having fun!

Our Misson to Bring Back Small Businesses @autisticana

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Small businesses in America face numerous challenges due to COVID-19, including price increases, worker competition, and concerns about the Federal Reserve’s response to inflation. According to surveys from organizations like the National Federation of Independent Business, the Small Business Majority, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, small business sentiment has become increasingly pessimistic. This is a concerning trend, given that small businesses account for two-thirds of all jobs created in the past 25 years in the country, which could have negative implications for American growth and prosperity.

Our mission at Autisticana is to do great news pieces on all small businesses that make our community thrive. We have already completed a dozen pieces on local businesses. Our goal is to feature at least 2 pieces a month to showcase to the community the hard work and dedication individuals put into building their own businesses.

As the CEO of Autisticana, we want you to understand that we chose our name because we are proud of our neurodivergent creativity and thinking. We work very hard to lift the stigma that this population has put upon us.

Our news team consists of typical and atypical people because “we are all one and look up to the same sky!”

FYI, we also love Starbucks and wanted to rhyme after their coffee Americana.

If you would like to be our next feature, please submit your business to

Drgrimaldic3115@gmail.com

CEO, Scott Weisbrot

CUNY Neurodiversity Conference And Exhibition

– Cara Difiore

I thought I would share this big day with you all

Let’s just say the day didn’t go as we planned and what I mean by that we left later than we planned it, with a little bit of traffic, and got there at the very end of it. I was also planning on going, calling on the road, and getting to the city and college by 5 at least but plans changed due to someone screwing up. But the good thing is that it ended up working well the way it did.

Christine and I went to the college while my mom, Danielle, and her mom Lisa waited in the van. When we got to the end we went to the front counter and asked the guys at the front counter where the event is it looks like it was at its ending at least which I was like oh no I missed most of it but it turns out I didn’t miss out as much as I thought

We got to go to talk to the director and the people who ran it. First, we introduced ourselves, then talked about me being an amazing artist, showed my artwork that I submitted, asked them about the event, talked about Autisticana, asked if we can do an interview with them, then they said sure and my book (that is done and in the works of being printed and published be on the lookout!) they also said they would love to promote it when it’s printed out and published which made me so happy. And we took pictures with me, Christine, my art, and the city in the background. Then we went back to van and meet back up with everyone with seeing Lisa as a surprise then we went out for dinner which the place and food was awesome.

The Autisticana Team at the Conference Meeting

Kevin Harrington from the Original Shark Tank 🦈

The whole Autisticana team went to the Marriott in Melville to learn about online marketing and expanding their business to other platforms. We learned about stocks and growing a business from good times and hard times but it would help us to learn and grow. They’ll be time when we failed our goals and stepped up to try again. This is the circle of life to understand the facts of making a successful marketing company. We also get to see Kevin Harrington from the original Shark Tank Judges and told everyone about the reality of running a successful company. We also learned about online marketing from radio to the internet from the history of successful advertising. We also discovered that famous companies showed their advertising on global marketing if their products or website became successful in their home country. Partnership is one of the top key terms to run a successful company. There’s also investments and partnerships that can help you run your company and encourage people to have interviews or major tv networks like ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC with other networks to run their show regionally.

This where we went for Business Marketing

Cara and I took some notes to learn every information about online marketing and advertising. We also discovered the history of marketing from radio to the internet. It also gives us some information about running a company and improving success in life. We learned about Marketing Software and discovered that we could look at the data and gather information about people checking out the website from which country to go on a specific blog on the website or the main site for in general. We discovered the stocks of marketing to get the idea of making a business so successful. There was some partnership with other companies who wanted to help the other company to become huge as the other company. We learned about TV Commercial of history to discover why people watch streaming platform for other success. We learned about being a successful writer or an author if we wanted to write a book. We discovered about commercial success overseas Incase the original airings of the show or a movie or a new product became a popular hit to the market industry.

We met and watched different celebrities like the original Shark Tank judges and we interviewed some famous people and get to see Donna Drake from the Celebrity news on CBS.

Autism Spectrum Disorder As An Adult

By James Malone.

I got this submission today and it was beyond moving and brilliant and wanted to share it with all of you out there.

If you have a story you would like to share, please share it with us.

Blessings to you and your family James Malone. You are an inspiration to us all.

Dr.Christine


Autism Spectrum Disorder As An Adult

Hello, my name is James and I want to voice my struggles and successes with others that are suffering from mental illness and developmental issues. Ever since I was little I knew something was off. I was always told throughout my life that I seemed like a calm person, however that was far from the truth. The wheels were always turning in my head.

In recent years I had the feeling that something was very off with me. I would have panic attacks and meltdowns lasting up to several hours. I always knew I had a learning disability, anxiety, and a specific phobia. Sensory Issues such as tastes, smells, textures, certain smells, and sights bothered me but I never mentioned it to a professional. I detest

staying at someone’s house or at a hotel and even had trouble feeling comfortable in my own home.

Beautiful photography James and Brilliant Work.
Beautiful Photography.
Special Interests and Talents that neurodivergents capture tremendously.

When I saw the show Atypical it gave me an idea to do a little research. I knew autism was different for everyone but I could see similarities between the main character of the show and myself. Learning more about ASD became a new obsession for me. I then decided to take the plunge and see a specialist. I was told by the doctor that performed the screening that they were pleasantly surprised at how functional I seemed compared to my test results. It was indeed a compliment but it had me thinking a lot about my life in both the past and the present. I was in tears because of the mixed feelings about my life. 

In school I struggled a lot with my learning disability. I always could remember in second grade when we started doing multiplication assignments. All the other kids seemed to be grasping the numbers but I just sat there with a blank stare. It wasn’t that I was jealous, I just was frustrated with not getting it. I also had a specific fear of tall buildings and high ceilings. My parents sent me to a psychologist for exposure therapy but the fear remained. The phobia has always interfered with travel, leisure, and work opportunities.

Today, I still struggle with my learning disability, phobias, anxiety, and autism. However, the autism diagnosis has changed how I approach effective treatment. I’m excited to say, with the help from Lexapro, Aripoprazole, and CBD oil, I can live life a little more easily. These treatments have enabled me to enjoy my interests including  photography, writing, historic preservation, video games, roller skating, martial arts and acting. Most people do not understand the frustrations and the struggles someone with high functioning autism goes through on a daily basis. I’m still trying to learn more ways to cope and use my obsessive traits as a strength and not a weakness.

Even as an adult I made the mistake of not mentioning anything to the psychiatrist, counselors, and therapists that I saw besides my phobia. I put in a lot of hours into cognitive and hypnosis therapy. I mentioned the constant worry and was usually diagnosed with Anxiety or Generalized Anxiety. I would always give medication a try but it would always upset my stomach or I felt It wasn’t working. I even tried herbal remedies and acupuncture.

James Malone Kirkendall is a Fort Smith resident and joined the Abandoned Arkansas team in 2014. He owns two dogs, parrots, and lives with his wife Ashleigh. Though he struggles with a learning disability and Autism, his talents and persistence have led him to an array of different achievements. Some of the greatest feats have been receiving a black belt in traditional karate and performing overseas in the Fringe Theatre Festival in Edinburgh Scotland. His education includes several computer technology certifications and he has attended the New York Film Academy in LA. His interests include video games, roller skating, and martial arts.

We Are Actually All Aliens

By Cara Difiore and Christine Grimadi

Today we’ll be talking about why we realize why I think we actually all are aliens and why we also think there is no such thing as typical and the differences between neurodivergence and neurotypicals.

This category is about Neurotypicals vs Neurodivergents where Autistic people compare to Typical people. Neurodiversity is about Autism and Atypical would get along together like hobbies or interest

Christine and I are both neurodivergent (though we don’t have the same disorder) and have been most of our lives.

Most typical people spend their time going on their phones the whole day, spend too much time on Social Media, and go to parties with expensive lifetime experiences like music festivals and spoiling themselves. There always unhappy, and depressed and find ways to get into trouble. There is always talking when there socializing and talking about life and other topics about what’s going on. Some Neurotypicals (not saying all of them) often think it’s cool to use drugs like vapes, cigarettes, and other harmful items, which are very addictive and harm your body. They often talk about the hotter body and good-looking faces which it does sickens people because I would’ve done the same thing. Most of the younger generation like myself don’t even do social activities as they used to. We’re not even typical and I’ve noticed some of this stuff not from every single allistic person but from some of them. I’ve also never done most of these things except being depressed and getting in trouble, not on purpose though. Christine probably has although I can’t speak for her.

Autistic people (like me) are who have like special talents and focus on special events or hobbies because they would go with one task at a time. Sometimes they have trouble communicating because it could be challenging to keep on track with the conversation. They have a mindset of their own world and focus on a time-set schedule so they can focus on what they want to do or go to places that they want to go to or meet up at a specific time. They tend to get extra support if they need help because sometimes does need some assistant help. Autistic people are gifted people and get to have services to get their needs. Autistic people also get extra support and services that typical people don’t get like free healthcare, special services like Self Direction, Financial Planning, special grants, Medical and Health Products, Free Passes, and Discounts like stare parks and special places that serve them. I know all of these not just from doing research but from experience since I’m also on the autism spectrum and I relate to all of this and have this myself too.

I hope this helped you understand and learned something new today.

What Makes me want to be like Barbara Walters

Barbra Walters has spoken to a lot of celebrities around the world and she was the first woman to change society and now women can forever be a news reporter. She was also the top 10 fascinating people around the world. Barbara Walters was determined to interview a lot of famous people around the globe even people that wanted to help others and advocated for people with develop disabilities and others with special talents and special needs. . Barbara also interviewed pop stars, princes, dictators, divas, world leaders, and so many other famous people which she was not afraid to speak to on her show. She was the best female interviewer in the world and was not afraid to talk to people from all different backgrounds and generations. She was also the first Co-Host of a U.S. news program. She and Harry Reasoner co-anchored the ABC Evening News from 1976 to 1978, which makes her a historic moment to be the very first U.S. female network news anchor which is something interesting. She was also on The View which made history about women running their own national television show. She also interviewed people at the biggest events around the world. She unique model is that fact that she interviewed people in a special way and she had a very special type of talent that very little amount of people can do but Barbra Walters could. She used to work for ABC News and 20/20. She became a journalist because she always wants to make news stories and every detail.

She had a sister name Jackie which she was on the Autism Spectrum which back then they used to called “mentally retardation” which it was an old term that Autism wasn’t a thing at the time of that period. She helped Jackie to show her how to have empathy and compassion , this way she could grow and develop her independence. Part of the reason that she looked after Jackie made her realize that she wanted to be in the show business and news reporter in the first place.

Why do I want to interview people?,Because Christine has taught us through her years with Barbara that she was not afraid to interview anyone even if they sounded strange to the world and people thought that their personality, politics, sexuality, lifestyle, was not accepted. She had respect and saw inside of the thoughts or talked about what was going on in the world. Barbara professed a dream to be a professional journalist. The show 20/20 gave Barbara Walters a whole different kind of platform which she can combined emotional interviews with hard edge news. She has empathy for everyone around the world that very little amount of people on their prospective side. She was able to deal with people that were convicted criminals or admitted to cheat on someone which she was not afraid to talk about, and interviewed and saw them as human beings. She was unafraid to promote every interview in a different light. . She was self coached and didn’t think it realize about all she had done for others. . Barbara Walters used all of her techniques to show the sense of humor, her sense of outrage and her sense of curiosity which people could be aware if they want to study being a therapist or a person who loved to bring up questions.

What inspired me to be like her is that she is very open minded at people and let them speak from their heart and not push them. want to talk about like some people don’t wanna talk about certain topics like most of the time .Christine does the same with our news group and has taught us the same. I would not mind if something is going through someone’s mind I just want to help. She is a good interviewer and a good listener because she know what’s she’s doing. Barbra Walters worked hard to get ready for the interview so she can get ready for the big interview like the toughest questions or the top headline of the day.

Our coach Christine taught us to be like and the lessons she learned to pay it forward to all of us to be the best we can be and help others. We have all become investigators and news reporters because of Christine in honor of Barbara and her sister Jackie. Dr. Christine has helped us to to use our voice. if I want to ask someone a question or I am meeting someone at a greet local business like we have done in the past , like going to the dealership or a gym or bakery or local events. This is a good opportunity that we have the chance to go on sn interview and ask them a few questions about the business or history about the place they started and are passionate about. We learned how to talk about our company Autisticana , and see what we can do to raise awareness about the Neurodiversity community that we can show case our amazing special talents.

The reason why the whole Autisticana Crew should be like her is because she had the inspiration of interviewing people for their entrepreneurial careers and what is like to work for the company, or what brings you the idea of developing the company. This whole team would be interested to meet and greet with people around the country and soon talk to people around the globe. This could be the opportunity to interview, staffs, celebrities or former athletes and possibly local legends that once accomplished their dream and passion during their famous careers. Someday we are going to be local heroes of what we accomplished in helping others. We @autisticana are excited what the future holds and thank coach Christine for pushing us to be are best selves and have a purposeful life just like Barbara Walters taught her.
We never knew who Barbara was because we are young but Christine always tells us how proud she would have been for all of us and what we are doing as a team. We hope others will join us so we are stronger as a team to help others that are sad and ostracized by society. Barbara paved the path for

Wonan, we are paving the path for people with disabilities. Thank you Christine and Barbara for helping and caring.

Scott Weisbrot. CEO of Autisticana

” A news media company that is going to sweep the nation.”

“We are a non profit and hope the right sponsors will come in so Christine who has done everything can have help bringing us to the top. “

“A Walk in the Park with Barbara Walters”

By Your Side…release date February 14th, 2023

Author Dr. Christine Grimaldi

Thirty years ago I was honored to be hired as Barbara Walters’ fitness trainer and health coach. It was a day I will always remember. I always had the curious mind to learn about others and what made people tick, what made them happy, and what made them productive.

My dad would say curiosity killed the cat, which was an idiom used back in the day, for curiosity can be dangerous. I embraced what could be seen as danger and all the positive effects it had on me.

When I met Barbara she said to me, ” Curiosity is the engine of achievement.” Curiosity is the quality related to inquisitive thinking such as exploration, investigation, and learning, evident by the observation in humans and other animals. Well that is all I had to hear to sum up the positive aspect of my neurodivergent thinking. At that moment I was silently grown up.

Who would have thought that the Barbara Walters would be impressed by what everyone else saw as not the typical norm. She encouraged me to channel my curiosity into a life full of critical thinking, conscious leadership, and purpose driven work.

During our time together, Barbara often spoke to me about her sister Jackie, who she adored beyond words. Jackie was autistic, and was never given the opportunity to create and express her greatness.

For the next 25 years, Barbara and I walked together in Central Park, mostly the literary walk, which was a beautiful path lined with poets and writers. I believe that this walk inspired both of us. We had wide ranging conversations about everything from fine literature and fiction, to medical abstracts, to topics of life that were rarely discussed openly. Our walks were a source of great inspiration and learning for both of us.

Over the years, Barbara expressed to me how she wished her sister Jackie had someone like me to help her realize all the value, creativity and purpose that she had to offer. These words meant a lot to me, and I took them to heart.

Barbara was a true believer in me and my work and was my patron, as I dedicated myself to brightening the lives of and creating a better future for children.

During one of our walks, Barbara confided in me that she did not have a legacy that truly reflected her inner feelings and desires.

She said:

“I am tired of putting my names on buildings and hospital wings that don’t truly express who I am.” I replied with confidence that she had instilled in me, “Someday I will leave you the legacy that you will be proud of.” She then asked, “And how do you plan on doing that?” I replied, ” I do not know yet, but I am sure I will find a way.” She chuckled and we continued our walk.

Today is a bittersweet moment for me, as I remember Barbara Walters who passed away last week. She was a dear friend, a loving mentor, and a mother figure to me. Barbara purchased an expensive apartment for me in New York so that I can have a safe and comfortable place to rest and recharge, while I pursued my purpose-driven work helping terminally ill children. She believed in the importance of self care in order to be able to take care of others and always encouraged me to take care of myself first. A wise lesson, that is still quite difficult for me, when resources are not readily available as they were when I was by her side. I became the change she wanted to see. I sold the apartment that she bought for me and used the money to purchase an enrichment home in Stony Brook, NY, and a writing retreat center upstate New York, for young adults with disabilities. I also founded a brand called AUTISTICANA, which is a news media center where people of all abilities can come for education, leadership, and respite. It is a place where I can teach the lessons that Barbara taught me to a new generation of wonderful kids.

In honor of Barbara Walters we have created a neuro-divergent news media company (501c3) that teaches kids of all abilities how to effectively communicate and socialize through interpersonal and writing skills by becoming news reporters for conscious leadership programs. These kids have exceeded all of my expectations and continue to do so every day. As a tribute to my dear friend and mentor Barbara, I hope that this company brings the same joy and fulfillment that she brought to my life.

Through this program, I hope to launch these kids into the bright future that Barbara always wanted for them.

Note to self

Barbara as she always did, would say to me . “Christine is ……….”,

and I would respond, “Christine is the person who never gives up, because you taught her how not to, and you taught her how to be the change you wish to see in this world”.

Thank you Barbara, for your legacy has begun…..

Please stay tuned for her memoir to be released.

By Your Side’‘ A Walk in The Park With Barabara Walters. “

Release date: February 14th, 2023 (The Day of Love).

@autisticana

Barbara always asked if heaven is for real, well Barbara, you and the pope left together…..

Help us sell our beautiful van so we can build out a new bigger and luxurious van for our traveling excursions

All of us @autisticana our selling our beautiful van because we need a bigger one for our foundation, so we can all travel and experience excursions together..,

You can support us by purchasing this van or donating a 10 person sprinter camper, so our team can have more space for adventures. We are getting ready to produce a documentary called “ Adventures on the Spectrum” and need this sale, so we can put it towards the 10 passenger sprinter camper we need to work on the road , as we show the world, that anyone from all walks of life can build a dream, when you believe and take action and work hard as a team.
Help us to make our dreams come true. We have all worked very very hard…

https://autisticana.org/2022/07/31/how-autism-makes-people-feel-uncomfortable-about-traveling-and-how-newsmakers-fixes-all-that/

Blessings.
@autisticana

How having Autism Makes Us Feel Uncomfortable About Traveling, And How The Newsmakers Has The Strategy For Successful Cross Country Experiences.

By Jackson Beach

Hope happens when you take action…

Travel is a very essential part of our lives. It can happen for business trips, visiting family, or even to have fun exploring popular places, people and families they have never seen before. However, autistic people usually have trouble with travel. This is because they feel where they live is a safe space and are worried bad things will happen on the trip like injury or death.

Some of these individuals don’t feel like going out of irrational fear that it will mess up the weekly routines and schedules full of rigidity they have set for themselves. We set up rituals, as per Dr. Christine’s mentoring full of special interests and job training that engages all of us.

I have felt this way because of these reasons as well as not knowing what to expect from the unique trips I go on with my family and the long car rides which last from 9 to 11 hours. These behaviors have been very irritating to my family which has spent lots of time planning these trips. This was shown when my family went to North and South Carolina during the early days of the pandemic, which saw many tourist attractions shut down for others’ safety. However, we still managed to make the most of our trip and have fun. This problem regarding autistic people has become more prominent recently due to the world opening up again after two years of suffering under COVID-19.

However, Autisticana and Newsmakers have a plan to combat this behavior. Recently, we have been reaching out to several RV companies to rent an RV for traveling around several states in the US’s Northeast region, such as Massachusetts and Rhode Island and doing activities on Long Island.

Christine Grimaldi spent her personal money to buy a van to travel with so she could do a travel documentary to make other people aware of the needs of autistic individuals and traveling. We were so excited to have a travel van but Christine realized that this purchase, costing $92,000, would not satisfy our needs as far as space, comfort, and everyone’s safety.

We are reaching out to look for a sponsor to show that neuro-divergent people can have the same opportunities with traveling and downtime as their neurotypical counterparts. Dr. Christine is ready to turn in her $92,000 van for a larger, safer, and more comfortable ride.

When we get the RV we want to travel and make a documentary in this vehicle, to help bring awareness to millions of talented people on the spectrum and their families.

The Newsmakers’ and my own angst about traveling to other states, should be recognized and addressed. Christine is teaching us the strategies of happy traveling and documenting our wonderful experiences. Without her, we would never have had this rare opportunity. During and after COVID went away we felt safe because we were and are, in a safe space together, with our enrichment center that Christine built for us that has become our home.

We want opportunities like the ones we are experiencing and now, the ability to travel like our typical peers. We rarely get these opportunities and other autistic and neuro-divergent people feel the same way

As Dr. Christine Grimaldi says, “We are stronger as a team than we are alone.”

The Atlas Touring Van, full of safety and comfort for kids with on the Autism Spectrum

Stay tuned for our new documentary Spectrum Strategies for Traveling

God told me we all matter despite our looks, abilities, and disabilities.

Every so often in my life, I believe that God gives me signs that I am meant to be where I am meant to be. The book Wonder by R.J. Palicio is a book about this kid named August who has a deformed face, and it shows the hardships and judgement a person receives based on what they look like. Now there was something in this book that made me really think about the Principal in the story, and how kind he was to the main character August, no matter his physical deformity.

Then a few days later after I thought about this, Christine Grimaldi, our mentor, who founded Autisticana, and who runs the Autistic group that I am a part of now, has her brother Mike, a Principal of an elementary school, who “looks great, but there is so much more inside of him to teach the world, ” as Christine expressed, came to visit our group for the first time.

Then he came to visit our group, whom will also probably become more involved with us. He has a-lot of gifts to share with us.

The amazing fact is that Mike Grimaldi is a true educator and principal, but when you first see him you see his good looks. There is so much more him than his looks. The way we met him, a principal who makes you think of physical appearance when you look at him, just so recently after I thought about the kindness of the principal in the book Wonder, makes me feel like this was a sign from God telling me something.

That sign is do not judge a book by it’s cover. Kindness comes in many forms, it is so much more than the physical. We are so appreciative to have another educator mentor all of us.

Now I think the theme of the book Wonder is kindness can be portrayed by anyone if they choose it. It doesn’t matter on what someone looks like, it comes from the heart. I don’t show favoritism to more good looking people and I don’t overlook people that are what most people call “ugly”. I see everyone as equally beautiful in their own way, and I don’t see anybody as better looking then anybody else. I see everyone as someone who needs to be accepted. I see everyone as important. I see everyone as a valuable jewel who needs unconditional love.

“Our Mentors”
“ You can’t blend in , when you were born to stand out”

Writers Of Autisticana Interview: Living With Autism – “Your Struggle Is Your Story….”

By Cara DiFiore, Jackson Beach, Rachel Green, Danielle, Nicole, Scott Weisbrot, Elliot Gavin Keenan, and Ava Gurba, Akilah, and Steven

Rainbow background

100th Blog Celebration!

This topic has been on my mind and I thought this would make a great blog for all to see, and to educate typical people on how neurodivergent people are so creative and bright and need to be heard and seen.

Dr. Grimaldi and I have decided to interview people at Autisticana and others about being on the spectrum, and what it means to them. We are all so very unique, special and different, so we wanted to explore our feelings and those people similar to us.

Being on the spectrum usually refers to a specific set of developmental and behavioral problems. The challenges associated with autism means that you can be affected in some way with communication and social, learning and interactive skills. Most articles and research are written and researched by professionals in the field and parents of children with autism. We as adults , living the experience of being on the spectrum, want our voices to be heard. We are the true ” Lived Experiment” and now, it is time for society to hear our voice and how we really feel. We have been told all our lives how to feel and how to be. So now, we have decided to start a monthly article discussing topics and calling our work , ” A Chorus of Autistic Voices”, so that society can really learn our perspective. I’ll share my story first.

Cara

I didn’t realize about my autism, until I got into my teens. I remember noticing my behaviors and traits. I took a quiz to see if I was on the spectrum. Although I was diagnosed at a really young age, so I don’t remember anything from that day. So I just believed in the diagnosis, and have had to live with it most of my life. Throughout my school career from preschool to high school, I was always placed in special education. When I was little I was okay with it , but once I got to my teens I was starting to feel embarrassed because I didn’t want to be in that class, and I felt like I was going to be made fun of for it, which in the end, luckily didn’t happen. Even though I was never bullied by kids, I wanted to fit in and be treated like everyone else. I still do to this day.

In middle school I was kind of a different person; I was a lot more like an introvert. I also always had a hard time relating to most people. I didn’t have a lot of friends, and didn’t feel like I belonged anywhere. I felt awkward everywhere I went.

I always felt ashamed about my autism and other things about me for a long time. Once I reached high school, I started to come out of my shell a little bit. I started getting more involved in more things and made some more friends, as I was starting to be less shy. I also met another special person in my life who is now my boyfriend.

However I still was dealing with struggles like poor self esteem, mental health, perfectionism, and ableism. I did my own research and learned what the world ABLEISM means, which is discrimination against people who are disabled invisble or not. I felt like I fit into that category. However those experiences made me the person I am today.

I now no longer feel ashamed of my autism. I’m grateful to have people in my life who appreciate me and to be apart of something really special like Autisticana, where we are all like minded, support each other and educate others.

My advice for anyone would be to not be ashamed of who you are, treat yourself the way you would treat others, be who you are meant to be in this world, and go after what you want.


Jackson

Being autistic is really great because it has allowed me to learn many different things about the world and has caused me to discover different types of music and interests and make great friends. Growing up, I went to Just Kids which was a preschool for kids with special mental needs and disabilities. However, once I entered public school, I was placed in regular standard classes rather than classes that had special needs kids. This made me feel like an outcast deep down as well as angry at myself whenever I got in trouble with other people, especially my paraprofessionals. I also struggled with issues such as hyperactivity and not paying attention at times. Despite that, I did participate in the SOAR program (Support Our Autistic Rainbow) of my school district from first to eighth grade. However, I was still able to make great friends and had fun in all my classes. My school career with autism changed significantly when on the last day of seventh grade, I was offered the chance to join the ICT two teacher classroom program. I agreed and my school career changed for the better as I made many new friends, even in people I had met before but never truly interacted with. I also saw my grades improve significantly, especially when I reached high school and was able to do extremely well in English and Social Studies. I also joined outside of school activities such as Sangha Education Center and Kidz Helping Kidz, where I bonded with other neurodivergent teens. Upon reaching college, I feel like my autism has helped in making great papers and projects. Throughout my life, I have realized that autism is a gift, not a burden and it has allowed me to make many great friends, whether at school or Newsmakers.


Rachel

I never realized I have a disability. I’ve felt left out with family than in school with my peers. Before my mom and stepdad got married, I felt left out because she was paying more attention to him than to me. I was upset and I would read romance novels in my spare time. It gave me a sense of hope that one day that could be me. When It came to school it made me feel bad that I was taking longer to graduate than other kids. I had a lot of friends in school and felt supported and my teachers were helpful as well. I liked to learn about science in school because of its science fair. I never felt disadvantaged compared to my peers. In regards to driving, I wish I could drive and I don’t like I can’t do that. I feel left out because some of my friends can drive and I can’t. I would like to have my own place away from my parents. If I had to say anything to those who feel bad about their disability it would be that we are each different in our own way and don’t feel bad about it.


Danielle

Growing up I never thought I had a disability, I always thought everyone else had issues, just not me. I owed this to my parents who never treated me differently, and gave my brother and I chores to do. We were both expected to do our chores. In school I had to deal with difficult kids more troubled than me and I had to learn to wait my turn and figure things out. Sometimes I needed help but I couldn’t get it. I’m now grateful that I found a group of friends in Autisticana who love and accept me for who I am. I always remember the times I had with Pop and remember seeing him through the window while sick. I’ll always have that memory with me.


Nicole

Since I was young, I have had a hard time speaking to people and I had a hard time paying attention in class, as well as hearing what the teacher was saying, As I got older I had a hard time trusting people, because I experienced a bad friendship and it made me feel less confident and trusting with others. I think being autistic is something I’m proud of because it shows that I can be intelligent, despite all the emotional and physical issues that have occurred to me.

Even if you do have a disability you can be whatever you want to be. For instance, I really enjoy using my creativity and imagination to help others by writing meditations and creative visualizations for all to experience. Life gets difficult some times and we need a little break in the day. Practicing meditation and creative visualizations allow us to experience a mini vacation in our mind. This also allows us to breathe deep, to oxygenate our system, and to relax our thoughts that may make us anxious.

I am happy I learned how to channel my creativity into helping myself and others to launch and just be, for working together we can all enjoy and be who we can be!


Scott

The time when I first noticed my Autism was the time when I was in elementary school. I was placed in a Special Ed group during most of my time. However, I was placed in a mainstream class in specials and some subjects because I thought it would help me learn how to interact with the other kids. I noticed something different was my classmates were having conversations and I only spoke a little amount. I was more interested in interacting with them during PE Class because it was about having fun. I often felt upset because they only wanted to focus on each other and hang out or be with other partners without me. I sometimes had a hard time keeping the conversation going because I wasn’t sure of saying what I wanted to say. I passed my Global History Regents in a mainstream Global History class. I often got upset over not going to a friends party because I felt bad finding out on social media that they were at parties and didn’t invite me. I got better with communication and I passed my road test on my first try during the end of my teenage years. I became more independent after I got my drivers license. I got two major awards at school. I participated in Sports activity like school and Special Olympics. I was on the Varsity Bowling Team, the School Track Team. and also helped out on the Boys Varsity Soccer Team. As I get older, I just realize that having Autism was more of a Gift because It shows my special type of interest and my own sense of view. I’m also grateful that I get to have my friends and everyone at Autisticana.org which makes me feel like its family.


Elliot

I was diagnosed with autism when I was six years old and I do remember the moment the doctor in a white coat let me into his office for the first time and I discovered that the dark square in the room I’d been playing in was a one-way mirror, and all of my “playtime” was actually being observed. I was in adaptive gym classes for most of my life and today I am not able to drive a car even though I am 26. Even though these are obstacles for me, autism has always been a gift — a gift that was misunderstood by others. I was able to read before I could speak and I believe my autism is a reason why I was able to complete my PhD at UCLA. However, despite being tested with an IQ score in the upper extreme, I was not invited to partake in the gifted programming at school due to my disability and I was late entering honors classes. I was bullied because I was clumsy and obsessed with Pokémon, and because of bullying and untreated ADHD I often did not want to go to school. I did well on tests, but I could not pay attention during classes and did not turn in homework. Because of my high educational attainment some people doubt I have any serious struggles, but I have been hospitalized in a mental hospital over 20 times. Those that know me best know that autism is a part of who I am (the good and the bad) and plays a role in my personality too, like my sense of humor.


Ava

I didn’t learn I was autistic until I was 15, but I always felt like there was something different about me. In my early adolescence, I was searching for any explanation for why I just never seemed to fit in. At 13, I learned that as an infant I had cerebral palsy. It explained why I physically couldn’t keep up with others, but I still felt like an alien on a distant planet. Everyone seemed to speak a different language than I did, but the words themselves were not different. It was how language and social connection being built. I always felt behind in some abstract global way.

In high school, the social pressures just became too much for me. I was having meltdowns, and at this age, it was not considered appropriate. It led to my eventual diagnosis with autism. At first, I felt like a completely broken person. Everything you read about autism when you google it talks about our deficits, our inability to be part of the larger social collective. I didn’t feel like I knew how to connect with the friends I had anymore. What I was learning actually made me feel worse about myself.

It took me several years, but eventually I found strong connections with other autistic adolescents and adults. I found solace in the neurodiversity movement, a social movement for the acceptance of people with different kinds of minds. I was no longer speaking this different language; we spoke the same. I could feel what I knew inside all along: being autistic was always a beautiful part of my identity.


Akilah

As someone who has autism, I have never felt bad about my disability because whether or not I have it is something that is out of my control and makes me unique as an individual. You can control as much as you can and you have to let the rest go.

I have always felt different from other people ever since I was born,. The day I was diagnosed all made sense to me and I was a bit relieved because it allowed me to make strategies to combat any ill feelings and resentment I felt against myself and how society may have viewed me. Instead, I was able to find tools to make positive strategies to make my life the best it could be under my circumstances. I don’t feel bad about not being able to drive because some people with disabilities cannot do so and there is no shame in that.

At school I was picked on and bullied which made me feel annoyed and isolated, but I took karate classes and defended myself whenever someone bullied me. I turned my isolation into being a great creative artist and I have learned to share my gifts and innate talents with the world. Through all my sacrifices and struggles, I have built up great resiliency and have learned appropriate coping tools while meeting like minded friends.

With the Newsmakers Club and all my great friends, I don’t ever feel left out because I feel safe and secure with all of them.


Steven

All throughout my life I’ve had a tough time socializing with other people. It is definitely not easy for me to have conversations with strangers. I always get a little bit anxious whenever a person asks me something when I’m out in public. There are times when I’m afraid to say anything because I’m afraid it might not be the right thing to say. There are certain sounds that I am very sensitive to, like the sound of a phone that is on speaker, or loud TVs, or some beeping noises. Also, my brain tends to process some things slower then other people, so if too much information is coming at me at once I can get overwhelmed, especially with all my autistic sensitivities. However, brain processing speed and intelligence are two different things.

I am an intelligent, honest, open minded young man who just wants people to accept all of me. I appreciate those caring, compassionate neurotypicals who are are willing to understand what it is like for a person to have autism. I appreciate neuro-divergent people like Christine Grimaldi as well.

Rainbow infinity symbol in pastel colors

Dr Grimaldi’s Takeaway:

In my experience, people with autism are beyond amazing. They all have their own unique special interests and priorities that are important to them. Special interests can mean many different things.

It could be a highly specific topic of conversation they wish to discuss, a tangible item that is particularly important to them, or maybe it’s an activity they wish to engage in without interruption. Examples of this are Pokémon competitions, Marvel, Disney, politics and so much more .

People who do not have autism that attempt to disregard their special interests are not able to truly reach that individual. It’s the special people who use that individual’s “priorities” to engage with them who receive positive and meaningful interactions.

A perfect example of this is the TV show Love on the Spectrum, which shows you that the couples on this show truly engage with each other when they have the same interests. I personally disagree with “opposites attract”.

I actually think that similarities are what engage relationships and keep them sustainable. People with autism are exceptional in that they are fearlessly and authentically themselves. Our societal norms do not affect the individual’s agenda to fully be themselves.

This can be off-putting for those who do not understand or appreciate this. Unfortunately society discriminates and looks at these wonderful kids as an illness to be fixed, when in reality they are truly a blessing that is ostracized by society which causes them mental health issues.

There needs to be so much more education and awareness so society can evolve and unite as a team.

With awareness, one can truly see the beauty of an autistic mind. The uninformed believe these individuals need to bend, adapt, and conform to fit into their society. I have met so many individuals to know that it is not them who needs to bend. Starting this wonderful blog at Autisticana has proven how these kids have worked together to build a bond, and doing so allowed them to really develop their communication skills effortlessly.

They have dedicated their work to advocating for themselves and have really learned amazing skills, such as sharing their stories, learning to creatively write, learning how to advocate as a team, and to accept everyone for who they are. They have also learned what it is like to be a mentor and a conscious leader.

Most of all they have learned to express themselves for who they are and to share their gifts with the world.

I am so proud to be their coach, their teacher, and their friend.

This is our 100th blog and today we celebrate their greatness. This has been the toughest year for me.

Through my baby sisters’ terminal cancer diagnosis, the murder of our beloved mascot Molly due to poisoning on a farm and Airbnb’s negligence, and through having my own surgery from this tragedy, we have not skipped a beat!

I am a resiliency educator and this year has proven the truth strength we all have.

Out Motto now is ” Teamwork makes the Dream Work”.

I am so beyond proud of my team at Autisticana.

We continue to publish our first ten books and tools to empower all to join us. We are also in the process of finishing our ar , yoga and writing retreat center in beautiful upstate NY, where all these like minded young adults can create and transform this world we live in for the better.

Thank You to my beautiful team at autisticana.org and the Newsmakers in honor of my mentor Barbara Walters, who taught me to critically think, investigate with appropriate evidence, and to keep my heart open while staying resilient at all times.

This year has been very sweet and sour and yet we all have proven to make lemonade out of lemons.

We are growing rapidly and hope to be nationwide soon.

Please come join a team who is going to sweep the nation.

If just one person shows compassion then just maybe it will cause a chain reaction…that person is me.

With love and grattitude,

Dr. Christine Grimaldi

http://www.fuelholisticenrichmentcenter.com

A group of all of us. Can you tell who has different wiring?
Stay tuned for our next blog, Neurotypicals vs Neurodivergents: What does it all mean if anything?

Why People With Autism Wish They Can Change Gender Identity

By Anonymous

I always find myself confusing because I always wanted to act like myself but had trouble figuring out how to identify myself as a male or a female. I also find it interesting to learn how many changes I went through even though I never changed my sexuality. It did help me become a better version of myself though. I also discovered that there are different categories of LGBTQ+ people which caused me to become very curious. I had always wanted to discover different types of people and see if I myself was in the LGBTQ+ Category.

I always love girls but I had trouble being or acting like them because not every woman is like that or they keep stuff to themselves that they don’t tell men about. Most of the time I like women because I like their sense of fun and bonding. They’re good talkers, caring people, and really helpful with others. I like the fact that everyone gets to be a woman but it could be hard to admit because most might think they are gay. People might have a different side of themselves which is OK because you can be whoever and whatever you want.

I had trouble keeping up with them because I always ended up in the friend zone or I got dumped, rejected or ended up as an acquaintance because I wasn’t good enough or said the words wrong.

At some point I will have to decide ” What do I want to act like: a beautiful woman or a handsome guy?” I like roleplaying while playing dress up because it helps me give the idea of that reality and see my own self reflection for what is my true identity.

(Let the reader think for themselves with these questions)

Why do I like women with different gender identity?

Why do I like guys acting like a woman?

Why do I sometimes imagine myself acting like a pretty woman?

Do I have to understand about genitals?

Why do I like women with different body types?

Why is it so hard to keep my manhood?

Why do I change interest with sex genders?

How should I know the understandings of a man and a woman in general?

What is the point about my sexuality?

Here’s the links if you’re curious about gender identity on the Autism Spectrum

Dr. Grimaldi’s Takeaway

This is not a new subject at all. People once realized this has been happening for decades but they covered it up due to fear (False Expectations Appearing Real). There is not enough evidence based research on gender identity and autism spectrum disorder. This is why I find this subject so interesting and I am becoming very involved in research of this matter. Why?

Because from my clinical eye and working with tons of kids on the spectrum this has become a big issue for them. I love and respect these kids so much they are so brilliant and talented. That is why this has become a big issue to me.

I find that a lot of the kids I work with are not concerned with gender at all. In my mind, as my own unique individuality and as a professional in the field, I actually think this is a beautiful thing. Why?

Most typical kids I’ve worked with my whole life are so caught up in gender identity and if they have the traits to portray the gender they were not born with and develop a lot of unnecessary stress because of this.

I find it extremely freeing that a lot of kids that I work with on the spectrum do not look at gender and age nor do they look at disability.

What a lesson to be learned for the typical population to release themselves of this burden that causes stress. Most people I work with on the autism spectrum don’t judge others, rather they are judged for being the person they want to be. Call it neuro-divergent wiring, call it cultivating isolation into positive thinking. There is so much we can talk about on this situation

What upsets me the most is that people judge and banter the LGBTQ+ community when more than half of the population consists of neuro-divergent people. For those who don’t know what neuro-divergent means, it means people with minds that function differently from the so called “norm” of the human brain. This makes me think that the “norm” of the human brain should be reconsidered like the food pyramid after 50 years.

It actually infuriates me that ignorance and lack of education on the subject throws our system into fear, aka the public library system shutting down LGBTQ+ education. For if only the public knew that a lot of this is simply neuro-physiology and need to think before they judge. I spend a big portion of my day teaching my Newsmakers how to become critical thinkers. It would be so nice if the rest of the world had that 101 education; if so, we would have less bullying and violence in a society where sexuality and ageism are so prominent. There needs to be more education on the reality of this situation instead of ostracizing kids that are as special as one can be for all of the eye to see.

Results suggest that autism spectrum disorder presents a unique experience to the formation and consolidation of gender identity, and for some autistic individuals, their sexual orientation relates to their gender experience, which could mean a past experience of bullying, violation, or ostracization, which resulted in isolation. As I mention my Newsmakers, your struggle is your story to help others.

It is important that clinicians working with autism spectrum disorder are aware of the gender-diversity in this population so that the necessary support for healthy socio-sexual functioning and mental well-being is provided.

It is more important that parents, teachers, and all other facilitators as well as politicians are educated on this matter. Individuals are getting hurt for being who they want to be. Is this a physiological issue or a psychological issue? Let the reader decide.

Note to self: One thing for sure, and I stand tall on this subject (#StandTallFoundation), is that excluding, covering up, or getting rid of information is making it so much worse for these kids as well as the typical population. The decline in mental health has exponentially manifested after the pandemic. You would think one would want more education to help resolve this ever-growing angry culture that we are now living in. Once again, let the reader decide.

Blessings,

Dr. Christine Grimaldi

Why do I Want to Be a Car Photographer

Inside of a new Toyota RAV4

Hi my name is Scott and I’m the CEO at Autisticana.org . I wanted to talk about why I love to take pictures of cars.

I wanted to work at a Dealership just to take pictures of cars and add it on the website. Working as a photographer at a dealer, maybe they would hire me for my great talent and my abilities instead of seeing me through the “disability lense”. I love taking pictures of cars and check the details of the interior and exterior of the vehicle. Sometimes when I see pictures of the person who owns the car and who is going to I want them to see the clear picture, with every detail. I wanted to take pictures of cars at a car sales dealership because I wanted to double check the vehicle, make sure the car is in good condition, mileage and color and specific type of vehicle. If I would know how to sell my own car, I would like to use every detail of the vehicles condition, photo of the car in every angle and talk about the vehicle itself.

Cars in the Showcase at an Toyota Dealership

If I work at the dealership, I would take a picture of the car who was last leased, and then check the vehicle itself for mileage and other detail of the vehicle to see if its running well. If I work at a Car Sales, I wanted to work as a Car Photographer because, I wanted to take a picture of the car in every angle of detail, car condition, interior, exterior and upload the pictures on the website, like the website of the car dealership and online Market Website for Car Search. I would also have to learn how to do vin number and use the key to alarm the car to see which is the exact vehicle. I would be very flexible about new vehicles in the fleet

New and Used Cars for inventory

We Need Help Rebuilding Our Summer Experience

We have been building a beautiful retreat house upstate and our coach Christine bought all of us a beautiful camper van so we could go back and forth and have camping experiences and help build a retreat house to mentor others. Unfortunately, last week, somebody sideswiped our van with four of our service dogs in the van. We have been through a lot this year; luckily our service dogs were not injured. However, the van will take at least two months to get repaired with an extreme amount of damage and is not drivable for the entire summer. What do we do?

Displaying IMG_0466.heic
The damage done to our original camper van

We found a beautiful Thor that would really help us and we feel like that his insurance company should reimburse us for the destruction of our summer mentoring program. We were also planning to use our van to document our first summer trip as a group. We were looking forward to that, especially with the loss of our dog Molly due to negligence on a farm. We really hope that amends are made by repairing our summer schedule as soon as possible.

Our potential replacement camper the Thor Motor Coach Hurricane 34J

How are we going to obtain this goal? We would love to rent the Thor through a website known as RV Share, but we don’t know how to raise the money to repair the damages due to this unfortunate incident. Maybe with a wing and a prayer, someone will sponsor us for our summer activities to continue.

Blessings from the Team at Autisticana

Update Does anyone live to their truth ?

Let the readers know…

We were so excited that American National promised to do the right thing and rent us a summer camper van after their client destroyed ours. Two of their workers Amy and Ryan said we will do everything we can to make up for this, and the loss of your camp and make your autistic kids happy.

The kids were ecstatic to hear those words and in the end they were empty words.

Farmers insurance lied and gave the kids nothing! Not a camper not a dime for lost wages, just false promises and the kids have been forever upset.

Our summer has been destroyed and we still strive to be integral and make lemonade out of lemons.

We were waiting on farmers insurance in New York to follow through on their word? They get a big ZERO ! They act like they cared about the loss of our summer adventure, and that they cared. The truth IS they cared about nothing!. Let the reader decide:

Does anyone have integrity anymore?

Or is everyone out to take advantage of disabled people and just tell them what they want to hear?

We are here to show the world integrity and stand tall to truth and advocate for ourselves, to get what we need to do to make all our lives happier, and to help others with the same love and compassion that we show each other.

To Farmers Insurance, you should be ashamed of yourselves. You wasted two months and ruined our camp and ability to get anything because of your false promises from day one.

We will hopefully turn around to a great group after a few months of tragedy and the right vibration and the real caring people that are really out for the good of the population will come forward and help us rebuild our camp and our camper to have the summer that we deserved, so we could help ourselves and mentor others to do God’s work. American National you should all be ashamed of yourselves and your false promises. Let the readers know…

Written by the team at Autisticana

We say what we mean and mean what we say…

Let it be known that American National let us all down after their countless false promises.

PETA and The Fight to Stop Animal Poisoning (In Memoriam of Molly)

“Molly in the animal hospital in Ventura California”

In Norfolk, Virginia, there is an organization centered there named People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. It is an organization that focuses on fighting animal cruelty and abuse in four areas: experimentation, entertainment, eating, and wearing clothing. It also fights against activities involving animal cruelty such as chaining dogs in the backyard and killing animals seen as pests, among other forms.

However, there is an issue that the organization should focus on more: the mistreatment of animals through poisoning, especially at resorts and rentals that use lots of harmful pesticides and chemicals without any disclosure.

“The day Dr. Christine fell from dizziness and burning eyes from the exposure to sulphuric acid on the farm, and Molly came running to her rescue”
“Christine and Molly help their new friend Paul after he had to say goodbye to his dog”

This is because my good friend Dr. Christine Grimaldi recently lost her dog, Molly, through this form of mistreatment.

Early on in the year, Christine traveled to California to finish a series of books, as we all are co-authors, and we are using her four dogs as main characters(Molly being the lead) in the books. We also work diligently to develop our blog called Autisticana, which focuses on our group of young adult friends with varied interests. We thank Dr. Christine for being our team captain.

Molly was an integral part of our team as she served as the team’s mascot, and went with us on adventures and learning excursions that we do on a regular basis before we write about it. For the first few weeks before this tragedy, we were fully focused on writing our empowerment books. We were on a roll.

Dr. Christine decided to rent a strawberry farm to create with us, owned by California-based Adohr Farms through the popular home rental service Airbnb in Camarillo. We all thought this would be a beautiful place to work and create peacefully. Who would have thought?

It was there that Molly became ill with pulmonary edema and cancerous cells through a deadly combination of constantly spraying pesticides and sulfuric acid tanks. After one month into their stay, Christine and all the dogs started getting sick, unfortunately, Molly got it the worse. This beautiful dog was never sick a day in her life and was always by everyone’s side. When this happened, Christine rushed everyone to the vet and had friends fly in to drive them all home immediately, with Molly on oxygen.

Christine with Molly in California

However, despite this trauma, Dr.Christine kept her hope alive and did everything possible to save her beloved friend Molly, such as making chicken soup with herbal medicine and taking her into her salt cave to help her breathe. This still wasn’t enough to heal her beloved Molly, and she was forced to put her down.

This made Christine so angry at Airbnb to the point where she is currently trying to sue them for not being accountable to guests, especially for animals’ safety on rentals with land that has been infested with pesticides and other fatally harmful chemicals. Her ultimate goal is to make Airbnb be unable to use farms as a form of rental property because of their lack of safety precautions. The fact that these travel platforms are willing to get people sick for money, is enough of a reason for us to make them accountable for multiple counts of murder and negligence. We even investigated them, and this has happened in the past with Airbnb guests, yet they continue to not have any regulations.

Christine has even started a petition through change.org to hold Airbnb accountable for murdering Molly and making herself and her other dogs sick and now depressed.

“Molly’s last day eating healthy chicken soup that the Autisticana crew cooked for her with love”

By reading this post, I hope PETA will take notice and decide to have its legal team be a part of Christine’s fight to hold Airbnb accountable for animal cruelty via chemical poisoning and avenge the deaths of Molly and countless other pets. PETA’s legal team is no stranger to successful legal victories, from freeing a chimpanzee stuck in a roadside zoo full of dust to terminating Seaworld’s orca attraction. Their success has been bolstered by the Freedom of Information Act, which allows them to gain access to records of illegal animal cruelty activities and has pushed for legal jurisdiction which will allow for animals’ protection after they have won these cases.

PETA’s work has been successful to the point where they were the first animal-based group to win Corporate Counsel’s Best Legal Department in 2017. With their help, Autisticana and PETA will become widely famous for being part of a battle in the war against animal cruelty: keeping animals safe from chemical poisoning and banning Airbnb from using rentals that help worsen this cruelty against animals.

Note to Self: This reminded me of Joe Biden’s own advice “for those who have lost loved ones during this pandemic: there is a black hole caused by their loss, but their memory will bring a smile to their lips before a tear to their eyes.”

“Molly, known as “The Goose” will never be forgotten and loved for eternity. She made thousands of people smile and knew just the right time to approach them. She was so compassionate, funny, fresh, and kind and was always willing to lend a paw or two.”

We pray for Dr. Christine’s healing during this time and want her to know that as a team, we will help her get through this. As she taught us, “We are stronger as a team than we are alone. I am proud to say, we stand by her words, and am proud to be one of her News Makers @ at Autisticana.org

With Love.

Jackson Beach

President

Author, Editor, and Friend

Dr.Grimaldi’s Take Away

” I am so blessed to have such a wonderful group of young adults in my life.

I always try to keep my glass half full, so I can be the change I want to see in the world.

This tragedy has been the worst tragedy for me and the loss of my Molly has made it hard for me to take a breath.” It is not how many breaths we take but the moments that take our breath away. That was Molly for me.

The lesson I learned from all of this is to hold onto precious memories. We are all here for a special reason. Molly was my reason for so long and was a jewel to everyone that met her. She knew when someone needed special consoling and would be the first to sit on their lap.

Through all of this pain, I try to find the blessings in every moment. I am beyond devasted by her loss and the negligence that caused this. I hope in Molly’s honor, her name will live on, and that this tragedy could have been prevented. I hope this brings awareness to @Airbnbtravel

and platforms like these.

I am in grieving mode and am so grateful to have this wonderful team at Autisticana around me.

Blessings to you my sweet Molly Goose, my heart will be forever broken but, I thank you so much for sharing your gifts with the world and caring for so many people.

Our Kayaking Tour from Coco Palm Forest to The Abandoned Village in Hoi An

Our News Virtual Travel Bloggers got the opportunity to take a kayaking trip last Friday with a young man named Huy (You can follow him at his Facebook page Huygo Gang & Kiara Badass). Huy, Kiara and Momo created this group to hold a space for us to grow our connection. We’ll update upcoming tours in Vietnam or in other countries. Exploring hidden spots, telling untold stories, and having fun are what we want to do together!

It was really nice to see that Huy created this whole trip using his own dog Momo as the main character in his story. My impression is that he named Momo after the winged lemur from the beloved Nickelodeon cartoon Avatar: The Last Airbender. The show follows a young boy named Aang as he awakens from a century long slumber in an iceberg and goes on a quest to bring harmony and peace to a world of four warring nations. I think Huy named his dog Momo because Momo from Avatar and Aang have a very close connection with each other as well as his sky bison Appa. I can relate to Huy and Momo’s bond because Momo rarely leaves Huy’s side as he livestreams his journeys for HeyGo.

Momo, Huy’s dog

We began our trip on the boat with Huy to an abandoned island as Momo stepped into his role as captain and led the way while Huy started educating us with his wonderful storytelling about the virtual excursion he was taking us on. The boat ride showed us beautiful tunnels of coconut palm trees which stood out in the murky and shallow swamp as we finally ended up at Hoi An.

Hoi An, Vietnamese for “peaceful meeting place” is one of Vietnam’s most renowned cities that is located within Vietnam’s Quang Nam province. It is also a UNESCO World Heritage site because it serves as a renowned example of a 14000s to 1800s Southeast Asian trading port that displays lots of influence, whether it be from other parts of Vietnam or other countries teeming with traders and travelers.

It was very interesting that people worldwide could come on from around the world and go on a boat ride throughout Vietnam’s river. That meant the Heygo viewers could ask a lot of questions from their own perspectives and I find that intriguing especially as a group of travel bloggers.

As an investigator, we dug a little bit deeper to find out the name of the island and why it was flooded. From our research, we learned that Quang Nam province was heavily destroyed due to Typhoon Joan in November 1964. Many villages as well as Vietnam’s rice crop supply was destroyed by the raging rivers and heavy rain and many people died as well.

Eric’s Fun Facts

  1. Vietnam is a nation of rivers
  2. Soccer/football is the most popular sport in Vietnam
  3. Vietnam currency is called dong

Nicole’s Visualization

Sit in a comfortable quiet space. Let your body relax, preparing yourself for your mind to relax. Take a deep inhale in, and exhale completely. Once again, take another full breath in and exhale completely. We are going to take an imaginary trip on a kayak through the Vietnam rivers. Gently bring your shoulders to your ears, shrug your shoulders up creating tension, and let them drop. Again, take a deep breath in bringing your shoulders up creating tension and then let them drop. We begin our venture kayaking the the Vietnam rivers to an abandoned village. As we start our voyage we take notice of the sight of palm trees as we keep paddling through the canals. We take a deep breath in as we bring our shoulders up and exhale releasing tension as we continue our kayak journey. We are excited and can feel the sensation of joy as I look at my little dog on the front of the boat playing the captain of our journey and of our visual meditation. I am so grateful I have a small companion to take this trip with. As I exhale completely, I bring the boat up to the shore of the island. I take a deep breath in and smell all the vegetation on the island. I hear “splash splash” as my dog falls off the boat. I laugh as I remind myself that he can swim because I taught him well. As I begin to pick him up and dry him off, I feel the sensation of his wet body and keep drying to make sure he is comfortable. As Momo and I get off the boat, we walk onto the island. I follow my sense of smell as I am led to plush vegetables and fruit gardens. I pick a ripe star fruit off a palm tree. As I taste its sweet yet sour fruit, I then feel the fruit which is in the shape of a 5 point star. Its skin is edible and the meaty part of the fruit tastes sour. I learn that they use star fruit in many dishes in Vietnam. I am full with joy as I take another inhale and exhale deeply. I follow the fruit patch till I see these big beautiful cows. I notice that the cow is starting to come over to me and I feel that he wants me to pet him. I first place out my hand to be very gentle as I feel the sensation of him licking my hand. I see that myself and the cow are really laughing together. I take another deep breath in and out and feel grateful that I have this bond with the animal. I begin to sit under the tree with my dog to relax. I close my eyes, take a breath in and out as I am very grateful that I can return to this amazing trip and create my very own visual meditation and excursion whenever I wish.

Scott’s Sport Review

We found out that one of the most popular sports in Vietnam is Da Cau. Da cau or “foot Badminton” is a sport that has been in practice in Vietnam for centuries. The emperors and kings of Vietnam also encouraged their soldiers to play the sport to sharpen their agility for fight. There is incredible acrobatics that the players must utilize when practicing da cau.

Photos by Danielle

David’s Rhyme Zone

There was a guy in cambodia named Huygo

Who had a puppy named Momo

They took us on a kayak tour

And showed us local scenery and more

And now that’s another country that I know!

Dr. Christines Positive Take Away

I am so proud of all my kids consistency with continually sharing their talents with the world . This trip was extremely fun because it show cased the joy and accountability found in the host It is so wonderful to see a young adult be creative and enthusiastic about his work . He captured this virtual experience very well and entertained his global audience with his dog Momo.

He answered all questions immediately that were asked with calmness and confidence . Some participant asked him ” What am I learning ?” and his response was ” Watching is learning ”. I thought that was confident and a brilliant answer. In this fast paced crazy world we live in, everyone is looking for a quick fix and an answer There is beauty behind curiosity . If we quiet down to pull ourselves into our five senses, we will find our answers So visually watching was so on point. Great job Hoy, and kudos to my newsmakers for sharing their individual gifts with each trip we take. Consistency is the key to success

Our travel Bloggers trip to Austrailia

Our news makers, now taking on the job of being our virtual travel bloggers got the opportunity to take a virtual trip by Amazon Explore. Our trip was to the Featherwood Sanctuary in Australia. We had fun seeing the sanctuary’s different examples of Australia’s greatest creatures such as koalas and kangaroos.

This virtual tour hosted by Leone was really great for all of us. She was very kind and very experienced about the park and all the animals. We virtually got to experience some great stories about the park, it’s history and all the animals. We saw and learned about the kangaroos, koalas, wombats, Penguins and much more.

What was fascinating to me was that these penguins that live in tropical temperatures. This was all new to me, I thought Penguins could only survive in the cold. Leone explained to us that these penguins have adapted to the climates in Australia. They have a layer of fat, just like the cold weather penguins, but it is not as thick. This allows them to live on land where it tends to be warmer. However, they are also covered in tightly worn feathers that act like a wet suit. These are all the animals we experienced in Australia.

We also really loved the kangaroos as they were able to jump up high, like we had learned about in various books and websites. Seeing them do it in real life was amazing!

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is img_7817.jpg

Eric’s Fun Facts

  1. Kangaroo Joey’s are the name they call their babies and weigh up to 6 kilograms until they leave the pouch (does anyone know how much 6 kilograms equals? a. 25lbs b. 13lbs c. 3lbs)
  2. Wombats have hard butts used for defense, burrowing, and mating
  3. 14 species of penguins can survive in warm climates
Wombats are short-legged, muscular quadrupedal marsupials that are native to Australia. Anyone know what a marsupial is?

Baby Joey’s in momma’s pouch!

When seeing the koalas climb on the trees, it was amazing to see them in action. What we learned was that they use climbing as a powerful tool to get food . They also climb to escape danger. So koala bears are actually super heroes. Imagine if we had those powers? We really do! Dr. Christine has taken all of us out hiking and climbing, so we are on our way to staying fit , reducing stress and being our own super hero!

Nicole’s Creative Visualization

A meditation about Featherwood Sanctuary

Find a calm and comfortable place.

Close your eyes as we begin our journey to Featherwood Sanctuary in Sydney Australia. Take a deep breath in and exhale completely. Let your body relax and your mind settle down as we begin our journey through the luscious green park. As you are walking through the path, you notice the ‘ lily philly’ which is a beautiful fruit that grows through all of Australia. As you breathe in and out you feel your body beginning to relax deeper as you smell the fresh wooded scent of the bamboo trees that surround you. When you reach out to touch them they are so strong, which makes them so resilient to any environmental condition. Christine teaches us to stand tall and be strong always, and if you fall, it is ok, you then begin to pick yourself up. As you breathe in and out, try to stand tall and confident in your strength like a bamboo tree. Even on our worst days, we can find the time to mimic a bamboo tree and stand tall like the mountain pose in yoga.

You feel grounded and strong into the earth as we hear the birds chirping and singing amazing songs they create naturally. You take a deep breath in and out and feel very grateful that you have this opportunity to experience this magic as we continue our creative visualization. As you keep walking through the trees you see the rain drops fall off the leaves, you proceed to reach out and touch the leaf, feeling soft and wet from the natural rain. You breathe in and out as you see this beautiful koala smiling at you. You reach out gently to touch the little bear, his fur is so soft. The koala is smiling as you stroke his fur, and that makes you smile as well. You proceed to walk further as you see a bright yellow banana tree. You pick one, close your eyes, and breathe in and out feeling grateful that this banana tree is able to share it’s fruit with you. You peel the banana and take a big bite, it is so fruitfully sweet. You walk to the end of the park looking at all the amazing animals. At the far end of the park, you realize you are at a cliff and am able to see the waves go up and down. As you feel the wind, you breathe in and out and look at the blue ocean. Realizing from the teachings in the News Makers, life is really like an ocean and we are all here to learn how to surf the waves and to stay emotionally steady and physically fit. You proceed to take one more deep breath in and out, knowing that you can come back to this beautiful sanctuary whenever you wish. Dr. Christine has taught us the art of writing creative visualizations, which actually helps us to calm down and center our minds.

Cara’s Art Corner

I chose the Koala because I thought it would suit best with the blog. This picture was painted on mixed media paper, fully done with watercolor. I enjoy using all different mediums for my works, but I chose watercolor because it’s efficient, dries quickly, and the colors come out brilliantly.

David’s Rhymes and Rhythms

The wildlife sanctuary was like a zoo

And we even got to see a kangaroo

The momma kangaroo had a joey in her pouch

He was so heavy the momma said ouch

We also saw a koala bear

He was so close as if we were really there

We enjoyed the Featherdale Wildlife park

It had a lot of pairs of animals just like Noah’s Ark

Scott and Jackson’s Facts about Australia

 Our news makers, now taking on the job of being our virtual travel bloggers got the opportunity to take a virtual trip by Amazon Explore. Our trip  was to the Featherwood Sanctuary in Australia. We had fun seeing the sanctuary’s different examples of Australia’s greatest creatures such as koalas and kangaroos.

This virtual tour hosted by Leone was really great for all of us. She was very kind and very experienced about the park and all the animals. We virtually got to experience some great stories about the park, it’s history and all the animals. We saw and learned about the kangaroos,, koalas, wombats, Penguins and much more. 

I really loved the kangaroos as they were able to jump up high, like I had learned about in various books and websites. Seeing them do it in real life was amazing!

When seeing the koalas climb on the trees it makes me enjoy seeing those creatures in action we learned in the past that they use climbing as a powerful tool to get food and escape danger and then really imagine if they go up high.

What was fascinating to me was that these penguins lived in tropical temperatures.. This was all new to me, I thought Penguins could only survive in the cold. Leone explained to us that these penguins have adapted to the climates in Australia. They have a layer of fat, just like the cold weather penguins, but it is not as thick. This allows them to live on land where it tends to be warmer. However, they are also covered in tightly worn feathers that act like a wet suit. These are all the animals we experienced in Australia.

Dr. Christines’ positive take- away

What is not positive about being so close to beautiful animals, that you feel you can reach out and touch them. Our News Makers were thrilled to see these beautiful creatures in Australia and learn about their characteristics and fun facts. The host was exuberant and lovely and was happy to answer all questions. Animals and nature have a way of lifting every ones’ mood. For the isolated, animals can make you happier than most humans. Getting in nature, even virtually can really help shift your mood. Nature has been researched to be one of the best elements to increase mental attitude. What better way than having the opportunity to do it in Australia. Our News Makers had a wonderful excursion.

Our Virtual Tour to Disney World

By Scott Weisbrot

On Wednesday, the Newsmakers completed our very first virtual tour to Disney World in Orlando Florida. We were shown the six parks, which I never heard of before. I was only familiar with a few of them and have visited Magic Kingdom a couple times with my family. As a Disney enthusiast, I would love to visit Blizzard Beach in person because it’s one of the recent water parks to be owned by Disney.

The host of our journey was named Albani. She was very gracious and very helpful in answering all our questions. It was interesting to hear all about the differences between the different parks. We learned about each of them and two of them are waterparks!

The 6 Disney Parks in Disney World:

  • Magic Kindgom
  • Animal Kingdom
  • Epcot
  • Hollywood Studios
  • Blizzard Beach
  • Typhoon Lagoon

A photo from Zoom on our Virtual Tour of Disney World. The photo shows different screen shots from Zoom of different people that attended, including our host for the trip, Albani
Here’s a photo of some of us on the trip with our tour guide Albani

The Magic Kingdom is one of the most popular places in Disney World. It’s where the magic begins! Animal Kingdom is the safari park of Disney World. There are so many animals in this park. You can explore all the animals on a safari through the park. Epcot features countries around the world and explores this through rides.There is so much to do to discover the world and explore about these countries while learning and having fun with friends! Hollywood Studios is all about the rides with cool thrills and you can see memorabilia from different films like Toy Story and Star Wars. Lastly, Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon are Disney World‘s waterparks.

A photo of Disney's Mickey Mouse and friends including Miney Mouse, Goofy, Donald Duck, Daisy Duck, Pluto, Chip, and Dale. The characters are all smiling and are holding hands in a circle looking down at you. Behind them, you can see the blue sky with a number of white fluffy clouds.
A photo of Disney’s Mickey Mouse and friends – featuring Miney Mouse, Goofy, Donald Duck, Daisy Duck, Pluto, Chip & Dale

Edited by avanicole23

Smithtown Dealership Experience

By Scott Weisbrot

We needed 2 vans for the blogging school, one for camping trips and one for the temporary taxi/Uber/Able Ride & Scat Bus [a local disability bus service]. I’ll be the driver to take friends to blogging school or take them for Boys Night Out on Tuesdays but then I’ll drive them home afterwards.

During the first week we went to the Toyota and Lincoln Dealership to check out the SUVs with 7 to 8 seats. At the Toyota Dealer we checked out the Highlander and it was a interesting SUV which I thought it was too big when I first got in at the showcase room. The whole group went into the SUV and it was wonderful having the whole group there. I always imagine myself taking the wheel when I go to the showroom because I always think of going on the road. As soon as we plan on leaving the dealer, it snowed for a short period of time which ended up in flurries. Then we went to the Lincoln Dealership and saw the beautiful sunset. We went to the Dealership to check out the Navigator, and it was too big, but very comfortable on the other hand. We checked out the showcase room which was a world of giant SUVs. Victoria took a picture of the whole group in the same SUV but it was also nice to see the workers at the dealership to promote advertisements for Autisticana.

The next week, we went to Smith Haven Jeep Dodge and Ram Dealership to test drive the Dodge Durango. Back then, I always heard it on 106.1 BLI during the commercial breaks. Christine and I each drove around the area which was challenging, but it was worth it driving around the town of Smithtown. Then we went to the office and thanked the guy who helped us on getting the SUV but I also offered the staff about our company. The final decision is that we took the Dodge Durango but it would take time to go get the purchase of the vehicle. Later, during the summer months, we’ll be taking the road with this vehicle while planning on using the camping van to go cross camping around the State.

Edited by Elliot Gavin Keenan

That I did a good job, at living my best life.

What is the legacy you want to leave behind?

If you’re reading this. You might be wondering what my answer might be, but the truth is… I don’t have one. We all get judged based on how different most of us act, interact, or even speak to people on a daily basis.

I know that. It hurts heavily inside our hearts, like a drill that’s trying to destroy it. Emotionally, I’ve accepted that my mistakes have become part of who I am and the legacy It may bring in the future.

I love my friends, co-workers, bosses, and family. Deep down, I understand that they care just as much. Being appreciated and knowing you belong is something to cherish and keep close to you. Sure, others may not always listen, but… that doesn’t mean we don’t care.

Great responsibility has a cost when it comes to power. Our legacy may not be agreed upon by everyone who sees us for ourselves but… I believe… those who love, understand, cherish, and comfort our circle/group is a winner in my book. So yeah, I’m confident to say my legacy is secure.

Though, it’s not just my legacy. My children will inherit my intelligence and logic. They may get bullied and mocked, but that won’t stop them or my wife from mentoring them into turning violent confrontations into transforming bullies into critical thinking professionals. My friends believe in a greater good. That promise will follow me and my companions towards a better future.

I’m ready to embrace that change. Will you be a part of that, too? If so, sharing my intelligence with you is both an honor and privilege. ❤

A mixed feeling.

How do you feel about cold weather?

On the one hand, it feels nice and beneficial. However, it doesn’t help if the temperature changes and fluctuates in a very abnormal way. I love cold weather but only in moderation, same with warm weather in the summertime. 🙂

Life and Lightning in a bottle: Part 1

The introduction: Many days it feels like life is throwing you only lemons and positive feelings can seem like they are being squeezed downward by negative thoughts. Remember it’s not what is thrown at you, but how you deal with it.

The First Paragraph: It’s true we share emotions and continually try to make the best out of a bad situation no matter what it could be. It should not matter. Friends may come and go and even though negativity can and sometimes cloud our judgements on previous or recent events, we shouldn’t ever forget that we are important. Think about those outcomes and work towards turning that bad energy into good fuel to boost your self-esteem.
We need to be aware that while our actions have potential consequences, it’s always better to assess than jump to conclusions. For example, firing a co-worker may sound fine on paper, but it could easily be a harder issue than to simply get rid of them instantly. Another good point to understand is that emotional connections and friendships lead to friendly co-workers. Don’t always assume that with every fight something will occur. Friends and interesting workers do occasionally get into arguments. That’s just part of life, and unfortunately, it is not under our control.

All of this has a lot of good points on both sides and that’s the important part. It all makes us feel incredible and invigorated. We are only human. Truth be told that while mistakes occur during and after that affect our very lives, it should be noted that despite things not always going our way and how we want it. Perhaps it’s time we think about how those people who we work with every other day, maybe even weekly, to tell them how they feel about us. Do they view us in a good light or not? Even if it seems horrible, we cannot interfere no matter how much we feel like it. In our gut, it could feel harmless. However, to allow bygones be bygones takes a lot of courage and determination out of both parties to agree, honestly, and truthfully.

The 2nd Paragraph: Having friends is nice. There is nothing wrong with allowing yourself to be in a friend group or social circle. Interactions help us better ourselves in becoming the best version of who we are. Striving for success can lead to greatness. Bumpy roads bring potholes, which attract unwanted problems by committing errors from our past.

The 3rd Paragraph: Hard days, depending on how you look at it, will in fact slow our progress down whether we like it or not. Our minds may look at it like a type of hellscape that neither of us can escape, almost like some kind of hellish nightmare refuses to give you any type of escape route to get out of it.

The 4th Paragraph: It does not have to end here. Take in what you can and breathe deeply right now, four times. Take a stand and show the world, just how much you’re able to conquer and fulfill that desire in order to crush those deep dark thoughts that want to ruin and destroy every last bit of positivity in not just your life but anyone’s. Screaming, yelling, being angry is something that you could do, to slow the spread that makes us feel uncomfortable and uncertain of choices; that changes the viewpoint of people around us in both a positive and nasty light. Unfortunately, that masks the problem and doesn’t deal with the issue at hand, making it difficult for it to just disappear. There are coping mechanisms available.

Meditation, breathing exercises, athleticism are both equally calm ways to wisk away stress. Surviving the unending sadness and tedious feelings of life, work, relationships and family all point towards some underlining amount uneasiness which can disrupt other people’s enjoyment of just trying to live a perfect and rewarding lifestyle. If others think it’s hilarious, rise above the anger and sadness and do not participate in their mocking. Moving forward to face your fears upon the everlasting fragile darkness is the first step to becoming whole and pure, going far beyond what others haven’t experienced before. Live each day and cherish every moment to protect not only your voice but the voices of others who determine the perfect you!

The 5th and Final Paragraph: We must strive for the future. Words may not hold as much weight than actions do. Nonetheless, forgetting the certainty makes for a dishonest approach. What have you learned? How do you define getting serious with others that share your predicaments? Often times we become lost and drift awkwardly into those thoughts that made us question, if what we’re all doing is correct. When you open up with the words “I want to feel alive!” It’s easy. You can’t think about the past. “Why did I do that? My boss will hate me for saying those words on his/her texts. Will she fire me? How will the others view me?!” All of that will turn into anger and resentment within your mind.

You also can’t think about the future. “Will it be, ok? Are they going to punish me for just speaking my mind about how I feel about certain things?? I was just being honest.” That’ll just turn into feelings of worry and concern. In that case, hold on for dear life!

Stake your entire existence in the present and not the past. That’s right! If you take this time and review what I’ve wrote, you are already on the right path in becoming a better person. Everyone, you will be ALIVE AND CONQUER THAT NEGATIVITY!

Futurama is Back for the Revival on Hulu

It reveals that they’ll return to Futurama on Hulu during the summer of 2023. It will start with Season 11 and consist of two parts, with an initial run of 10 episodes.

Futurama aired in 1999 on Fox, ending in 2003 after 4 seasons. Then the show brought a season 5 special, released on Comedy Central, and lasted until 2013 for season 10. However, the show was successful in comic books and advertising. Fox canceled Futurama but began airing reruns on Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim programming block from 2003 to 2007. It was later revived in 2007 as four direct-to-video films, with the last one released in early 2009. Comedy Central then signed an agreement with 20th Century Fox Television to syndicate existing episodes and air the films as 16 new, half-hour episodes, which made up the show’s fifth season.

Bender, Fry, and Lella are ready to deliver a package for something very important at Planet Express.

The news was announced that Futurama would be back in 2022 and released in 2023.

Futurama is a science-fiction animated TV series set in New New York in the 31st century and built in present-day New York City. The show features various technological advancements, including the Head Museum that keeps heads alive in jars, a slow internet with pornographic content, and robots with alcohol-powered engines contributing to global warming. The show also portrays a blend of current and historical figures and celebrities preserved as heads. Religion is prominent in society and has evolved into new religions such as Oprahism and Robotology. Futurama often parodies current issues of today and the science-fiction genre.

In 2003, Cartoon Network acquired syndication rights to Futurama for its Adult Swim block, leading to renewed interest in the show. When Family Guy succeeded in direct-to-DVD productions, Futurama’s producers decided to try the same. In 2006, it was announced that four straight-to-DVD films would be produced, later split into 16 episodes comprising a fifth show season. The final movie release, Into the Wild Green Yonder, was designed to stand as the Futurama series finale. Still, Groening expressed a desire to continue the franchise in some form, including a theatrical film. Futurama left Adult Swim’s lineup on December 31, 2007, and began airing on Comedy Central the next day, with season 5 making its broadcast debut on March 23, 2008.

Futurama is an American animated science-fiction sitcom Matt Groening created from 1999 to 2013. The show was revived in 2022 with a 20-episode order set to premiere in 2023. It follows the intergalactic adventures of a company’s delivery ship workforce living in 31st-century New York. The show has received critical acclaim, with 17 Annie Awards and 12 Emmy Awards nominations, winning six and four Writers Guild of America Award nominations and two wins. It also received Environmental Media Awards for the episodes “The Problem with Popplers” and “The Futurama Holiday Spectacular.” Merchandise includes a tie-in comic book series, video games, calendars, clothes, and figurines.

The series uses a range of humor, including self-deprecation, black comedy, off-color humor, slapstick, and surreal humor, to satirically portray everyday life in the future and parodically compare to the present. The show seeks to combine “low culture” and “high culture” comedy, playing on both the comedic value of Bender’s catchphrase, “Bite my shiny metal ass,” and his fear of the number 2, which is a joke about the binary numeral system.

Futurama is a comedic animated series that uses a range of styles of humor, including self-deprecation, black comedy, off-color humor, slapstick, and surreal humor, to satirically portray everyday life in the future and make parodical comparisons to the present. It is produced by The Curiosity Company and 20th Century Fox Television (credited as 30th Century Fox Television) with animation done by Rough Draft Studios. It transitioned to high-definition in season 6, with the opening sequence being re-rendered and scaled to fit a 16:9 widescreen format. For the final episode of season 6, Futurama was completely reanimated in three different styles.

Comedy Central announced in April 2013 that they would air the final episode of “Meanwhile” on September 4, 2013. The producers said they are exploring options for the series’ future as “[they] have many more stories to tell” but would gauge fan reaction to the news. Groening and Cohen have previously expressed a desire to produce a theatrical film or another direct-to-video film upon the conclusion of the series.

In an August 2013 interview with Milwaukee Journal SentinelKatey Sagal said regarding the series finale, “So I don’t believe it… I just hold out hope for it because it has such a huge fan base, it’s such a smart show, and why wouldn’t somebody want to keep making that show; so that’s my thought; I’m just in denial that it’s over”. Sagal also mentioned during the same interview that Groening told her at Comic-Con that “we’ll find a place” and “don’t worry, it’s not going to end.”

The producers of Futurama have said that they have many more stories to tell, and Matt Groening and David Cohen have expressed a desire to produce a theatrical film or another direct-to-video film upon the conclusion of the series. Katey Sagal also mentioned at Comic-Con that the producer told her they will find a place to continue telling stories in the Futurama universe, so the series is not definitively over.

The Trailer of the Revival Series of Futurama, an 18 seconds clip, was released. The show will be released on the 24th of July.

While the new viewers will be able to pick up the series from the start of a new era. In the meantime, long-time fans will recognize payoffs to decades of interesting long mysteries and treasures includes developments in the epic romantic love story of Fry and Leela, the mysterious contents of Nibbler’s litter box, the secret history of evil Robot Santa, and the whereabouts of Kif and Amy’s tadpoles. Epscially, there’s a new questionable pandemic in town as the crew explores the future of vaccines, bitcoin, cancel culture, and streaming TV. It also shows that a new revolution of the future and society changes to see the future than it they predicted when the show started. 25 Years later, the evolution of the future shows some significant progress in the future which it would be fictional of the reality or while some the predictions can be made in real life but in a different time zone.

Lemon pear marmalade cake

” Life is too short eat desert first “

What another great recipe for our autisticana recipe book.

Marmalade cakes were founded in England and was recorded on a shipping inventory from Portugal in 1495. The first English citation of marmalade, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, is 1524. Marmalade, its popularity riding on this knobby, yellow fruit’s ability to congeal, and probably also its medicinal promises, began with quince, and for about a thousand years remained only a quince product.

We found all these health benefits of marmalade which just excited all of us as we made it with gluten free flower.

This is what we found :

Marmalade may reduce cholesterol levels and support good heart health. Marmalade has powerful antioxidants and relieves constipation.

Various Health Benefits

  • Rich in nutrients.
  • Rich in antioxidants.
  • Good for skin.
  • Helps obesity patients.
  • Heals wounds.
  • Supports good heart health.

As news makers we really try to be as healthy as we can so we can be conscious leaders and produce great work.

We decided to try a different marmalade and tried lemon pear which was out of this world.

We ended up using dairy free coconut topping and a splash of marmalade sauce on top.

As a group we all agreed that this was probably one of the best deserts we ever tasted.

This is an easy recipe which , we replaced with gluten and dairy free products.

Amazing recipe for our great recipe book to come !

Thank you Joanna Otto who has become our autisticana chef !

We love and appreciate you and we all think you are amazing !

Blessings from all of us @autisticana

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 medium navel orange ( we used lemon pear , try different flavors it’s so much fun !)
  • 2 tablespoons  water
  • 12cup  sugar

DIRECTIONS

  • Select Navel oranges that have the thinnest peel.( or you can cheat and use different organic flavors that come already made in jars , wink wink )
  • If the orange is large double the amount of water and sugar.
  • Wash the orange thoroughly.
  • Cut off both ends of the orange.
  • Cut the orange in half, cut each half in about eight sections.
  • Place the orange sections in the food processor and pulse until the peel in is tiny pieces.
  • In a medium saucepan place the processed orange, the water and the sugar and bring to a gentle boil.
  • Boil for 15 minutes, stirring frequently.
  • Let cool, then place in a glass jar with a tight fitting lid.
  • Refrigerate to store.
  • When it is cold it is ready to eat.
  • I use 1/2 sugar and 1/2 Stevia( plant based holistic medicine ) and it works well.

The loaf or cake ( substitute with gluten options )

  1. 1Heat oven to 350 degrees. Coarsely chop any extra-large chunks of peel in the marmalade. Grease a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan.
  2. Step 2In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together softened butter, sugar, lime zest and orange zest until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until incorporated. Beat in ⅓ cup marmalade and the orange juice.
  3. Step 3In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Fold dry ingredients into wet until just combined.
  4. Step 4Scrape batter into prepared pan. Bake until surface of cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center emerges clean, 50 to 55 minutes. Remove from oven and transfer pan to a wire rack. Cool 10 minutes; turn cake out of pan and place on rack right-side up. Place a rimmed baking sheet under rack to catch the glaze.
  5. Step 5Heat remaining ⅓ cup marmalade in a small pot over low heat until melted; whisk in confectioners’ sugar and ½ tablespoon butter until smooth. Slather warm glaze over top of cake, allowing some to drizzle down the sides. Cool completely before slicing.

Tip

  • Measurements for dry ingredients are given by weight for greater accuracy. The equivalent measurements by volume are approx
amazing Joanna topped with coconut crene and drizzled marmalade. Delicious warm !
Kudos to our amazing chef Joanna !!
We are so blessed to have such chef talent in our group!

Thank you Joanna for being such a conscious leader !!!

Traffic in the East End of Long Island

As the years go by, traffic to the East End of Long Island on the South Fork has gotten worse in recent years due to more people wanting to work for higher quality and high-paid jobs on the island since too far to travel to NYC. Residents might’ve lived around Central Suffolk or the East End near the Hamptons or the North Fork that rather deal with the longer drive and heavy traffic in the Hamptons on Sunrise Hwy Route 27 passed the Shinnecock Hills to County Road Route 39A from East Central Suffolk to Southampton. Some commuters take the path to the Ferry trip to Shelter Island which its also a toll path to the South Fork for the Morning Commute. Traffic has gotten worse because more landscapers want to get higher pay than the suburbs of Long Island because they don’t get paid as much then High Class Areas, Back then, traffic used to be worse in the summer months because of tourism. As time change, more people wanted to get jobs out east to the Hamptons because of better pay jobs, landscapers, plumbers, heaters, coolers, house builders, construction workers, farmers and architecture for essential jobs.

Another thing how reason traffic increased every day in the Hamptons in general is because many New York City Residents decided to move out due to the Pandemic which NYC failed to keep businesses running and more free time in the Hamptons. When School started, some of the districts decided to expand classrooms because of families that moved out of the City and wanted to say that living in the Hamptons is their 2nd Home. They have the opportunity to live in the rich quality of life which others can have greater chances of working from home.

The timeline of how bad traffic is going to the Hamptons from the past to present. Back then it used to be one of the most popular historic cities on Long Island which was for high class people where they also did fancy parties. The Hamptons is also known to be the most expensive place for real estate. The Best beautiful beaches in the Atlantic Ocean. On a normal basis, traffic from Hamptons Bay to Bridgehampton would take 20 to 30 minutes but during peak hours it would take 45 minutes to 2 hours to get from East Quogue to Bridgehampton. The main reason for the traffic in the Hamptons is mostly Commercial vehicles over commuter cars. During the Morning Commute traffic is backed up from 5:45AM to 10:00AM. The high demands of people going to the East End is making traffic into a complete nightmare. During the Summer Months, the congestion continues to get worse from the Sunrise to Sunset or sometimes the first hour of night during weekends and holidays. This also happens because of the huge amount of tourism that wanted to to spend the day in the East End or go on vacation for the week. During the Fall, people go there for Pumpkin Season and wine breweries because there are so many cool holiday theme events for all of the people from the New York Tri-State Area and some outside of the area.

There’s a new study show that more residents in the Town of Brookhaven that wanted to work out by the Hamptons because of higher wages jobs and it’s mostly trade work. Sometimes there are residents from Western parts of Suffolk or commercial Essentials from Nassau County or New York City like a large company driving Islandwide. There’s often truck drivers that came all the way from Farms to Cross Country Trips for delivering goods and food products. During heavy traffic, it’s mostly a trade parade because most of the commuters vehicles are pickups, box trucks, tractor trailers, commercial vans and any essential equipped vehicle that would be good for the job. Some commuter cars has tons of people in their car for carpooling because most of the landscapers can’t afford to have their own cars and others would invite a friend to ride them to work if they don’t wanna risk spending more on their own car. So the morning rush of East Enders started with the William Floyd Parkway leaving Mastic-Shirley because that’s also the beginning of the westbound commuters heading west on Long Island. Driving through Patchogue to Shirley is mostly both bounds depending on how many vehicles would be taking Sunrise Hwy or the Long Island Expressway. Once you reach to East Quogue, traffic starts building up and almost every exit starts slowing down mostly due to Sunlight during the Summer which everyone drove from 50 to 35 just to avoid accidents ahead of the view. Sometimes more commuters merged into Sunrise Highway from the side roads. Afterwards it gets jammed all the way to County Rd 39 passed the Shinnecock Canal. On the other alternative route that does the same thing to Sunrise Hwy is Route 25 from Shoreham to Riverhead and there’s Route 24 in Riverhead passed the Court House through Flanders. There’s also a few drivers that drove from Southold to Aquebogue on Route 24 or County Route 48 and make a left to Cross River Driver County Route 105 or Northville Tpke going south. Others wanna take an alternative way to the Hamptons like getting on the Shelter Island Ferry which is similar time like getting stuck in Traffic but its more like a calm seas moment so they don’t have to wait for a long period of time in a standstill drive.

Eastern Long Island is the perfect place for the Summer and Fall Events for travelers who wanted to go out for some fun outdoor activities on the trip for roads to the East End. During the Springtime, people would go there to see the flowers blooming, nature preserves or trips to the Museum that interests you or your friends and families. During the Summer Months, it’s that time of the year when everyone wants to go to Long Island for the best destination for the best beaches, art cultures, history, concerts, restaurants, farmers markets and so much more with everything that you need to know about Long Island.

On weekends, the North Fork only has minor delays parts of the day from 10:00AM to 7:00PM because it might be some of the tourists from the New England Coast that took the ferry from New London, Connecticut to Orient Point, Long Island. When Autumn arrives, it’s that time of that year when everyone wants to go to the North Fork because it’s most likely the only destination for full-time pumpkin picking, farmers market, hayrides, and apple picking from Mid-September to Mid November. It’s the only time of the year when the North Fork has the worst traffic congestion. The overcrowding is more likely to get worse on weekends because everyone is out from School and Work. Traffic from Sound Ave and Main Street only gets backed up during apple picking and pumpkin picking weekends which the miles of traffic would take you from the range of Wading River to Southold. Not much people go to the Hamptons in the Winter Months but you can go to winter theme places and Christmas Lights Shows,

If you love photography you can go watch the early sunrise in the Summer at the Montauk Lighthouse and watch the earliest sunset at the beginning of winter. The Sunrise and Sunset times are 10 minutes apart from Nassau County into New York City. The time zones are different from being in western parts of Long Island because it’s a different atmosphere.

Our Trip to Spencer’s

By Christine Grimaldi

This past week, the crew at Autisticana visited Spencer’s at the Smithtown Mall. The store is very interesting because it has shirts and clothing based on popular movies, anime, and musicians. It also has paraphernalia relating to weed, occultism, and magic, sex toys, and candy. They even sell manga and cookbooks. We all took pictures relating to our interests there.

In 1947, Spencer’s started off in Easton, PA, as a mail-order catalog with tons of novelty merch by Max Adler and his brother Harry, the namesake being the former’s middle name Spencer. In 1963, three years after Harry left, Spencer evolved into a brick-and-mortar retail store with its first location in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, at the city’s mall. Since then, Spencer has grown to 650 locations in the US, and Canada within malls, especially on Long Island, such as Hicksville Broadway.

In 2001, Spencer’s Gifts launched its e-commerce website, allowing customers to shop for its products online. The website has become important to the company’s sales and marketing strategy.

Today, Spencer’s operates over 600 stores in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico, offering a wide range of products, including clothing, accessories, home decor, and novelty items. The company is known for its edgy and irreverent products and is known for catering to a younger, more alternative demographic.

Despite competing with other retailers in the same space, Spencer’s has continued to grow and expand its business. With a focus on innovation, creativity, and customer engagement, the company has stayed relevant and popular with its target audience.

Spencer’s has been a must for the newest trends, tees, body jewelry, home décor and more that celebrate our slogan “life is a party”and we are making it fun. Known for being a pioneer in sexual wellness, call us what you want, but we are here for all communities to celebrate. We are committed to our guests’ uniqueness and their desire for rebellious, buzzworthy products that represent a unique lifestyle while offering an escape from the ordinary.

Spencer’s had opened in 2003 under new management, raising the bar and continuing its untraditional retail journey. The stores have changed, but when they set out on the path of becoming an industry leader in a subtle shift from Spencer Gifts to Spencer’s, this will always be true to the roots of their love for the pride of the effort they put.

They have done a new and better look, but never forgot the history because some of the trends are as old as time. Spencer’s, which continues to lead the market with one of the oldest continually operating stores in North America and nearly 670 locations throughout the United States and Canada, proudly enshrines the brand as cultural staples. Giving back is a key obligation of Spencer’s, and we have been increasing the commitment over the last few years.

Since 2020, the whole partnership with the ACLU has generated nearly a million dollars to help protect civil rights for individuals. Additionally, since 2008 our associates have been fierce advocates, joining in on the battle against cancer by fundraising on behalf of three organizations focused on fighting youth cancer through the non-profit Boobies Make Me Smile. They’ve raised more than 10,5 million dollars to support the Young Survival Consortium, Stupid Cancer and Fxck Cancer that are working on prevention, education and help for young people with cancer and showing the reality of helping young women that could possibly have breast cancer and knowing the facts of the support they need when their going through tough times.

Everyone takes on Spencer’s:

Scott likes that Spencer’s has cool stuff, especially sex products.

Danielle didn’t care for Spencer’s Costumes

Jackson loved Spencer’s having been at that location and Hicksville’s multiple times. He loved taking the Stepbrothers photo with Scott:

Why It’s Challenging For Most Neurodivse And Disabled People To Find/Keep/And Manage Jobs And What We Can Do

-Cara Difiore

Today I’ll be writing about why (it seems to me) it’s common for most neurodiverse and disabled people (like me and any of you that is reading this right now) to stay and manage in the workforce keep on reading if you are interested

I wanted to write about this today because it’s something I was interested in writing about and something that’s been on my mind for a while, especially lately because it’s bothering me and most of my friends and classmates went to college right away which I didn’t do, had jobs, went away for big things, and other things which and from endless conversations from to my mom, my friends, my boyfriend, and my therapist.

I believe it is hard for anyone to do that because of the steps you have to do, the action, what to expect, etc, Even if you’re not neurodiverse or disabled. It’s also because of a lack of understanding, fear, sensory issues, communication issues, sensory overload, and burnout. which is something I and most of you probably relate to and understand if you fall under one of those things. If you have I’m deeply sorry I hope you find a way to manage it That sounds awful and overwhelming, doesn’t it? I always worry and wonder when will I ever get to the place I want to be and have the successful paying job I want

I tried out job internships in high school but most of them weren’t for me and had two jobs that I got tired of at some point which I did one for a year and the other for 2 years because of the pandemic. And I’ve been unemployed and an unpaid employee for Christine since but hopefully that’ll change soon.

My advice is don’t decide right away if you’re not sure, ask for guidance when you need it, join a program, go on internships, and give yourself time

Let’s do whatever we can to help everyone stay employed