Today I have the amazing honour of sharing a bit of my poetry on Poems for the Autistic Child over at Raising Rebel Souls. If you haven’t yet checked out Heather Clark’s amazing blog… I encourage you to have a good long read around. Her vision of acceptance and the beauty she shares bolsters me on days when things can be challenging. She is a wonderful parent and writer, who supports neurodiversity and promoting the voices and perspectives of Autistic people.

I believe in what Heather is doing with this poetry project, and I am proud to be a contributor along with others like Amy Sequenzia, and Alyssa of Yes, That Too. I would have loved for H, now rushing rapidly toward adulthood at nearly 15-years-old, to have been able to see that there was literature written for him and others like him, and to have had access to this in his school library. What a powerful message of understanding and belonging and positive identity. Heather’s work in collecting and showcasing these perspectives is a positive step toward making this a reality. She explains:

“I started this project because it is unacceptable to me that my own children cannot go into a public library and find books that specifically celebrate their people. I want to gather poems, stories, artwork and other examples of beauty for all Autistic children and youth. If you have something to contribute, something that may enrich the lives of our youngest generation of Autistics, something that will honor them, please drop me a note or leave a comment in the post. Thanks for reading and sharing with the Autistic children you love.”

And here is one of Heather’s wonderful poems:

A Line is Fine –H.C. 

Towered
Over.
Asked
To
Stack
Tall.
From
The
Ground
On
Up.
Expected
To
Fall.
Autistic Child, I am on your side.  You can stack wide.  Long is not wrong.  A line is fine.

Please check out the growing poetry collection on Raising Rebel Souls, and also consider what you might add to the life of an Autistic child if you have something to contribute. That would be spectacular!

For further information please email Heather at poemsfortheautisticchild@gmail.com

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30 Days of Autism is a project designed to fight stigma, promote civil rights, and increase understanding and acceptance for those who process and experience the world differently.

©Leah Kelley, Thirty Days of Autism (2013)