WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:06.000 align:middle line:90% 00:00:06.000 --> 00:00:06.940 align:middle line:90% All right. 00:00:06.940 --> 00:00:07.840 align:middle line:90% Perfect. 00:00:07.840 --> 00:00:09.700 align:middle line:84% OK, so we got some index cards here. 00:00:09.700 --> 00:00:11.700 align:middle line:84% You guys can write down your questions, 00:00:11.700 --> 00:00:13.440 align:middle line:90% or you can just shout them out. 00:00:13.440 --> 00:00:16.239 align:middle line:84% We did a little pre-planned Q and A. 00:00:16.239 --> 00:00:19.760 align:middle line:84% So these questions and answers are right from the speller's 00:00:19.760 --> 00:00:21.320 align:middle line:90% fingertips. 00:00:21.320 --> 00:00:22.900 align:middle line:90% So Brian explained some of this. 00:00:22.900 --> 00:00:26.860 align:middle line:84% And I think the songs explain a lot of it as well. 00:00:26.860 --> 00:00:30.420 align:middle line:84% But the first question they asked the spellers was, 00:00:30.420 --> 00:00:33.640 align:middle line:84% tell us a little bit about yourself as an artist. 00:00:33.640 --> 00:00:34.900 align:middle line:90% And Joshua answered this. 00:00:34.900 --> 00:00:37.200 align:middle line:84% Joshua's here, walking in the back there. 00:00:37.200 --> 00:00:40.600 align:middle line:84% He says, I hope to help other non-speakers' depression how I 00:00:40.600 --> 00:00:43.840 align:middle line:90% helped mine, by writing poetry. 00:00:43.840 --> 00:00:47.240 align:middle line:84% My kind friends need help getting hard memories out 00:00:47.240 --> 00:00:48.720 align:middle line:90% of their heads. 00:00:48.720 --> 00:00:51.280 align:middle line:84% I'm so proud of myself for never giving up hope 00:00:51.280 --> 00:00:53.000 align:middle line:90% for getting my voice. 00:00:53.000 --> 00:00:57.470 align:middle line:84% Now I want to help my friends who are locked inside. 00:00:57.470 --> 00:00:59.220 align:middle line:84% Sorry, I shouldn't do a lot of commentary, 00:00:59.220 --> 00:01:00.980 align:middle line:84% but I just have to say, Joshua has 00:01:00.980 --> 00:01:03.820 align:middle line:84% done that for a number of people as one of the first spellers 00:01:03.820 --> 00:01:07.580 align:middle line:84% in the state of Arizona, including my son Aulton, 00:01:07.580 --> 00:01:09.180 align:middle line:90% introducing us to spelling. 00:01:09.180 --> 00:01:11.180 align:middle line:84% So here's Aulton, he says, I have 00:01:11.180 --> 00:01:13.520 align:middle line:84% grown as an artist over the last few years. 00:01:13.520 --> 00:01:15.900 align:middle line:84% I'm aware more of my sensory system 00:01:15.900 --> 00:01:18.780 align:middle line:84% and recognize that writing heals my soul 00:01:18.780 --> 00:01:20.800 align:middle line:84% and helps sort out deep emotions, 00:01:20.800 --> 00:01:25.083 align:middle line:84% especially as I grapple with the energy of politics. 00:01:25.083 --> 00:01:26.500 align:middle line:84% Being an artist means I have a way 00:01:26.500 --> 00:01:28.680 align:middle line:84% to connect my emotions to others. 00:01:28.680 --> 00:01:33.940 align:middle line:84% I hope to spread loving light to others. 00:01:33.940 --> 00:01:36.000 align:middle line:90% Ethan, who is also here with us. 00:01:36.000 --> 00:01:37.860 align:middle line:90% Ethan, I see you. 00:01:37.860 --> 00:01:40.680 align:middle line:84% He says, I'm so excited to be considered an artist. 00:01:40.680 --> 00:01:43.860 align:middle line:84% I am new to art, but so far I love it. 00:01:43.860 --> 00:01:46.720 align:middle line:84% My interests lie mostly in the realm of creative writing, 00:01:46.720 --> 00:01:48.442 align:middle line:90% such as poetry and songwriting. 00:01:48.442 --> 00:01:50.400 align:middle line:84% We got to hear one of those songs today, Ethan. 00:01:50.400 --> 00:01:52.780 align:middle line:90% That was fantastic. 00:01:52.780 --> 00:01:56.240 align:middle line:84% Niko, another artist who is here with us. 00:01:56.240 --> 00:02:00.440 align:middle line:84% He says, as an artist, I see value in the small, understated 00:02:00.440 --> 00:02:01.600 align:middle line:90% details. 00:02:01.600 --> 00:02:04.760 align:middle line:84% I think that definitely shone through in a lot of the songs 00:02:04.760 --> 00:02:08.240 align:middle line:90% that Brian sang today. 00:02:08.240 --> 00:02:11.560 align:middle line:84% Jake says, I use what experiences I have seen 00:02:11.560 --> 00:02:14.720 align:middle line:90% or things that have impacted me. 00:02:14.720 --> 00:02:16.600 align:middle line:90% That's fantastic, Jake. 00:02:16.600 --> 00:02:19.180 align:middle line:84% And Ashton, Ashton's here as well. 00:02:19.180 --> 00:02:23.600 align:middle line:84% He says, I am a non-speaking 26-year-old man who loves songs 00:02:23.600 --> 00:02:25.520 align:middle line:90% and poetry. 00:02:25.520 --> 00:02:27.120 align:middle line:84% You can see most of these songwriters, 00:02:27.120 --> 00:02:28.680 align:middle line:84% they write the lyrics for the songs 00:02:28.680 --> 00:02:34.360 align:middle line:84% and they also write poetry as well with Brian and others. 00:02:34.360 --> 00:02:36.300 align:middle line:84% The next question they asked the spellers are, 00:02:36.300 --> 00:02:40.360 align:middle line:84% what are the main sources of inspiration for your poems, 00:02:40.360 --> 00:02:41.920 align:middle line:90% songs. 00:02:41.920 --> 00:02:44.320 align:middle line:84% Little common theme here, you'll see. 00:02:44.320 --> 00:02:47.240 align:middle line:84% Aulton says, I am inspired most by nature. 00:02:47.240 --> 00:02:50.340 align:middle line:84% All things living and past living are connected. 00:02:50.340 --> 00:02:53.000 align:middle line:84% Senses are extremely important to my writing, 00:02:53.000 --> 00:02:57.040 align:middle line:84% even if they aren't included explicitly. 00:02:57.040 --> 00:03:00.860 align:middle line:84% And Joshua says, one of my inspirations is nature. 00:03:00.860 --> 00:03:01.960 align:middle line:90% Open your eyes. 00:03:01.960 --> 00:03:04.020 align:middle line:84% It will fill your inner thoughts. 00:03:04.020 --> 00:03:06.780 align:middle line:84% It doesn't take too much lasting images, just 00:03:06.780 --> 00:03:12.100 align:middle line:84% impressions of sound, images, smells, feelings on skin. 00:03:12.100 --> 00:03:14.940 align:middle line:90% It is pure time for imagination. 00:03:14.940 --> 00:03:18.460 align:middle line:84% Light and trees releasing greetings to a weed. 00:03:18.460 --> 00:03:20.800 align:middle line:84% Wind trying to whisper your name. 00:03:20.800 --> 00:03:25.260 align:middle line:90% 00:03:25.260 --> 00:03:27.420 align:middle line:90% Very, very beautiful Joshua. 00:03:27.420 --> 00:03:31.940 align:middle line:84% Ashton, common theme again about nature. 00:03:31.940 --> 00:03:34.720 align:middle line:84% And Ethan says, I find inspiration everywhere. 00:03:34.720 --> 00:03:38.380 align:middle line:84% It shows itself in the unspoken world that surrounds all of us, 00:03:38.380 --> 00:03:41.860 align:middle line:84% in the nature of the desert, in the depths of human emotion, 00:03:41.860 --> 00:03:44.700 align:middle line:84% and in every part of the world that goes unnoticed. 00:03:44.700 --> 00:03:47.380 align:middle line:84% I went unnoticed for a long time. 00:03:47.380 --> 00:03:51.580 align:middle line:84% Having empathy lends itself nicely to finding inspiration 00:03:51.580 --> 00:03:54.980 align:middle line:90% in the small things. 00:03:54.980 --> 00:03:59.600 align:middle line:84% Jake says, my inspiration comes from things I've learned. 00:03:59.600 --> 00:04:03.280 align:middle line:84% And Niko says, language is more than the spoken word. 00:04:03.280 --> 00:04:05.280 align:middle line:84% Connections through art and music 00:04:05.280 --> 00:04:07.940 align:middle line:84% strengthen bonds in more meaningful ways. 00:04:07.940 --> 00:04:11.520 align:middle line:90% 00:04:11.520 --> 00:04:14.200 align:middle line:84% There's an interesting question that they asked 00:04:14.200 --> 00:04:16.720 align:middle line:90% the non-speaking spellers. 00:04:16.720 --> 00:04:19.920 align:middle line:84% Says, what do you like most about being autistic? 00:04:19.920 --> 00:04:25.620 align:middle line:84% [CHUCKLES] It's kind of flipped the script there. 00:04:25.620 --> 00:04:29.260 align:middle line:84% Joshua says, how hard is my body to control 00:04:29.260 --> 00:04:31.520 align:middle line:90% but I love synesthesia. 00:04:31.520 --> 00:04:33.320 align:middle line:90% I see colors in hearing music. 00:04:33.320 --> 00:04:36.480 align:middle line:84% I hear in my head sounds with numbers. 00:04:36.480 --> 00:04:39.280 align:middle line:84% Ashton says, my special abilities. 00:04:39.280 --> 00:04:42.340 align:middle line:84% Ethan says, my sensitivity is trouble at times, 00:04:42.340 --> 00:04:44.000 align:middle line:90% but it's also a gift. 00:04:44.000 --> 00:04:45.800 align:middle line:84% The senses of an autistic individual 00:04:45.800 --> 00:04:48.640 align:middle line:84% like myself are unique, to say the least. 00:04:48.640 --> 00:04:50.440 align:middle line:84% Having the intense sense of others 00:04:50.440 --> 00:04:54.440 align:middle line:90% is my autistic superpower. 00:04:54.440 --> 00:04:57.660 align:middle line:84% Jake says, proving to everyone that I'm more capable than what 00:04:57.660 --> 00:05:00.220 align:middle line:90% people think when they see me. 00:05:00.220 --> 00:05:02.380 align:middle line:84% And Aulton says, I think that being autistic 00:05:02.380 --> 00:05:05.820 align:middle line:84% has given me eyes to perceive the world in a special way. 00:05:05.820 --> 00:05:08.660 align:middle line:84% I understand my place in connection with nature. 00:05:08.660 --> 00:05:12.300 align:middle line:84% I think this gives me wonderful gratefulness for every element I 00:05:12.300 --> 00:05:13.460 align:middle line:90% encounter. 00:05:13.460 --> 00:05:17.700 align:middle line:84% For example, I appreciate bees, beetles, gophers and jaguars 00:05:17.700 --> 00:05:20.500 align:middle line:84% as important creatures with a purpose not so unaligned 00:05:20.500 --> 00:05:21.860 align:middle line:90% with mine. 00:05:21.860 --> 00:05:24.340 align:middle line:84% I also understand that my relationship with plants 00:05:24.340 --> 00:05:26.740 align:middle line:90% is so unique and almost sacred. 00:05:26.740 --> 00:05:29.340 align:middle line:84% I know many autistics feel the same. 00:05:29.340 --> 00:05:31.140 align:middle line:84% I love and value my conversations 00:05:31.140 --> 00:05:32.820 align:middle line:90% with my spelling friends. 00:05:32.820 --> 00:05:35.940 align:middle line:84% Being autistic is a blessing if you choose to see it that way. 00:05:35.940 --> 00:05:40.125 align:middle line:84% Goodness is founded in gratefulness. 00:05:40.125 --> 00:05:41.500 align:middle line:84% The next question that they asked 00:05:41.500 --> 00:05:43.460 align:middle line:84% the spellers was, how long have you 00:05:43.460 --> 00:05:45.780 align:middle line:84% been able to communicate by spelling. 00:05:45.780 --> 00:05:48.260 align:middle line:84% Joshua said, I started RPM, which 00:05:48.260 --> 00:05:52.180 align:middle line:84% stands for rapid prompting method, when I was 13. 00:05:52.180 --> 00:05:54.500 align:middle line:84% I loved it, but I felt I needed physical support 00:05:54.500 --> 00:05:56.000 align:middle line:90% to fill my body in space. 00:05:56.000 --> 00:05:58.730 align:middle line:84% My mom pushes against my wrist or forearm, 00:05:58.730 --> 00:06:00.530 align:middle line:90% that was when I was 18. 00:06:00.530 --> 00:06:01.930 align:middle line:90% I'm 23 now. 00:06:01.930 --> 00:06:04.030 align:middle line:90% I pity my time free of spelling. 00:06:04.030 --> 00:06:06.610 align:middle line:90% Wish I did it just all my life. 00:06:06.610 --> 00:06:09.270 align:middle line:84% Aulton says, I have been spelling for almost nine years. 00:06:09.270 --> 00:06:11.730 align:middle line:84% My progress is slower than most, but it 00:06:11.730 --> 00:06:14.050 align:middle line:84% is the most important thing I have ever tried. 00:06:14.050 --> 00:06:17.770 align:middle line:90% It primarily gave me a life. 00:06:17.770 --> 00:06:21.050 align:middle line:84% Ethan says, I have been spelling for two years, two whole years 00:06:21.050 --> 00:06:23.710 align:middle line:84% openly, and Ashton says, a year and a half. 00:06:23.710 --> 00:06:27.650 align:middle line:84% So we got some new spellers here as well. 00:06:27.650 --> 00:06:29.890 align:middle line:84% Did you try other methods of communication, 00:06:29.890 --> 00:06:31.690 align:middle line:90% is the next question. 00:06:31.690 --> 00:06:37.610 align:middle line:84% Ashton says, yes, sign language and PECS cards and AAC devices. 00:06:37.610 --> 00:06:40.110 align:middle line:84% Joshua said, yes, just about everything. 00:06:40.110 --> 00:06:42.810 align:middle line:84% I used to try to use toys that talk, kind of trying 00:06:42.810 --> 00:06:44.650 align:middle line:90% to join the conversation. 00:06:44.650 --> 00:06:46.130 align:middle line:84% Mom thought it was a coincidence, 00:06:46.130 --> 00:06:47.270 align:middle line:90% I wanted to reach her. 00:06:47.270 --> 00:06:48.690 align:middle line:90% It was so hard. 00:06:48.690 --> 00:06:50.270 align:middle line:90% PECS was impossible. 00:06:50.270 --> 00:06:51.730 align:middle line:90% Requests only. 00:06:51.730 --> 00:06:54.810 align:middle line:84% Sign language was too hard for my apraxic body. 00:06:54.810 --> 00:06:56.830 align:middle line:84% The AAC device was too slow and too 00:06:56.830 --> 00:06:58.550 align:middle line:84% difficult to remember pathways, and it 00:06:58.550 --> 00:07:00.190 align:middle line:90% didn't have the words I wanted. 00:07:00.190 --> 00:07:02.150 align:middle line:84% I used YouTube videos to tell people 00:07:02.150 --> 00:07:03.330 align:middle line:90% the things I want or feel. 00:07:03.330 --> 00:07:06.430 align:middle line:84% I've done that for many years and my mom finally understood. 00:07:06.430 --> 00:07:09.030 align:middle line:84% Spelling is the best, by far, for me. 00:07:09.030 --> 00:07:11.270 align:middle line:84% Aulton says, I tried so many things. 00:07:11.270 --> 00:07:14.510 align:middle line:84% Nothing is even close to spelling. 00:07:14.510 --> 00:07:15.690 align:middle line:90% Common theme here as well. 00:07:15.690 --> 00:07:17.330 align:middle line:90% Ethan says, I tried it all. 00:07:17.330 --> 00:07:20.490 align:middle line:84% Nothing really worked to help me truly get my thoughts out. 00:07:20.490 --> 00:07:23.950 align:middle line:84% New methods like letter boards helped me so much more. 00:07:23.950 --> 00:07:27.150 align:middle line:84% And Jake says, yes, but I think this way of communication 00:07:27.150 --> 00:07:31.030 align:middle line:90% helps me bring out my voice. 00:07:31.030 --> 00:07:33.910 align:middle line:84% Next question they asked is what is the most important thing 00:07:33.910 --> 00:07:36.030 align:middle line:84% that you want neurotypical people to know 00:07:36.030 --> 00:07:38.957 align:middle line:84% about non-speaking or autistic people. 00:07:38.957 --> 00:07:40.790 align:middle line:84% It says, I think it is important to remember 00:07:40.790 --> 00:07:43.630 align:middle line:84% that we are intelligent and we understand everything. 00:07:43.630 --> 00:07:45.730 align:middle line:84% We feel the same feelings in the inside. 00:07:45.730 --> 00:07:48.550 align:middle line:84% We just might not look like it because our bodies 00:07:48.550 --> 00:07:50.830 align:middle line:90% are hard to control. 00:07:50.830 --> 00:07:54.490 align:middle line:84% And Aulton says, I firmly desire everyone must value individuals, 00:07:54.490 --> 00:07:57.270 align:middle line:84% regardless of disability, gender identity, 00:07:57.270 --> 00:07:59.390 align:middle line:84% race or anything that makes a person unique. 00:07:59.390 --> 00:08:01.570 align:middle line:90% I want reverence for all lives. 00:08:01.570 --> 00:08:04.830 align:middle line:84% I, like all autistics, have individual interests, opinions, 00:08:04.830 --> 00:08:07.630 align:middle line:84% talents, gorgeous perspective and influence. 00:08:07.630 --> 00:08:09.690 align:middle line:90% I have wonderful relationships. 00:08:09.690 --> 00:08:11.410 align:middle line:84% I don't appreciate when many assume 00:08:11.410 --> 00:08:15.090 align:middle line:90% I can control my whole body. 00:08:15.090 --> 00:08:18.830 align:middle line:84% My brain is intense, but often impulse overruns it. 00:08:18.830 --> 00:08:22.450 align:middle line:84% Please don't underestimate anyone, ever. 00:08:22.450 --> 00:08:24.010 align:middle line:84% Jake says, I just want people to be 00:08:24.010 --> 00:08:26.270 align:middle line:84% aware of how people talk to me and others, 00:08:26.270 --> 00:08:28.770 align:middle line:84% because some people act like I don't understand them or talk 00:08:28.770 --> 00:08:30.730 align:middle line:90% like I'm not here. 00:08:30.730 --> 00:08:33.590 align:middle line:84% The majority of what people talk about on the news is garbage. 00:08:33.590 --> 00:08:36.309 align:middle line:84% When you begin to work in the world of non-speaking autism, 00:08:36.309 --> 00:08:39.370 align:middle line:84% you are told we are all profoundly intellectually 00:08:39.370 --> 00:08:42.730 align:middle line:84% disabled and will never amount to anything. 00:08:42.730 --> 00:08:44.270 align:middle line:90% This is a load of crap. 00:08:44.270 --> 00:08:45.610 align:middle line:90% LOL. 00:08:45.610 --> 00:08:48.650 align:middle line:84% I'm censoring myself for better social media use. 00:08:48.650 --> 00:08:50.650 align:middle line:84% The truth is, autism has nothing to do 00:08:50.650 --> 00:08:54.190 align:middle line:84% with intelligence and everything to do with motor. 00:08:54.190 --> 00:08:58.750 align:middle line:84% Ashton, definitely that we are smart. 00:08:58.750 --> 00:09:00.950 align:middle line:84% And Ethan says, a piece of my heart 00:09:00.950 --> 00:09:03.725 align:middle line:84% heals every time I get to answer this question. 00:09:03.725 --> 00:09:05.350 align:middle line:84% I want people to know that non-speakers 00:09:05.350 --> 00:09:08.310 align:middle line:84% are the toughest yet most sensitive people in the world. 00:09:08.310 --> 00:09:11.590 align:middle line:84% Having no spoken words doesn't mean that we aren't in here. 00:09:11.590 --> 00:09:13.190 align:middle line:84% Long years of just listening have 00:09:13.190 --> 00:09:16.750 align:middle line:84% made us more intelligent than you might expect. 00:09:16.750 --> 00:09:20.590 align:middle line:84% And finally, the last question, pre-planned, 00:09:20.590 --> 00:09:24.030 align:middle line:84% was, what was it like before you could communicate? 00:09:24.030 --> 00:09:26.950 align:middle line:84% And Aulton says, to be honest, it was not good. 00:09:26.950 --> 00:09:29.310 align:middle line:84% I was loved by only a few people because others thought 00:09:29.310 --> 00:09:32.150 align:middle line:84% I was so dumb that I would not care about their lack of concern 00:09:32.150 --> 00:09:32.950 align:middle line:90% for me. 00:09:32.950 --> 00:09:35.490 align:middle line:84% I had a lot of medical problems and Mom, 00:09:35.490 --> 00:09:38.230 align:middle line:84% Dad and Lila tore their hearts out for me. 00:09:38.230 --> 00:09:39.650 align:middle line:90% Elody had not been born yet. 00:09:39.650 --> 00:09:41.890 align:middle line:90% That's his sister, other sister. 00:09:41.890 --> 00:09:42.850 align:middle line:90% But no one else cared. 00:09:42.850 --> 00:09:45.190 align:middle line:84% It seemed like people thought my misery didn't count because they 00:09:45.190 --> 00:09:46.450 align:middle line:90% thought I didn't think. 00:09:46.450 --> 00:09:48.630 align:middle line:90% I did think, that's all I did. 00:09:48.630 --> 00:09:52.010 align:middle line:84% I taught myself math while I sat in a classroom being ignored. 00:09:52.010 --> 00:09:53.250 align:middle line:90% I taught myself to spell. 00:09:53.250 --> 00:09:55.490 align:middle line:84% I learned patience, strength, and empathy. 00:09:55.490 --> 00:09:58.450 align:middle line:84% Empathy for those I watched suffer, especially the kids 00:09:58.450 --> 00:10:02.370 align:middle line:84% in my classroom who didn't even have a Nikki, Mike, and Lila. 00:10:02.370 --> 00:10:03.630 align:middle line:90% Now my heart has healed. 00:10:03.630 --> 00:10:05.250 align:middle line:90% I learned all that I can. 00:10:05.250 --> 00:10:07.790 align:middle line:84% I work so hard and contribute to society. 00:10:07.790 --> 00:10:09.970 align:middle line:84% I am involved in my medical care. 00:10:09.970 --> 00:10:12.810 align:middle line:84% I have faith in myself like I never had before. 00:10:12.810 --> 00:10:16.010 align:middle line:84% I have plans for college and a meaningful, loving career. 00:10:16.010 --> 00:10:19.830 align:middle line:84% My life is so different than I had even hoped. 00:10:19.830 --> 00:10:23.930 align:middle line:84% I want every non speaker to find a way to share their lives. 00:10:23.930 --> 00:10:27.650 align:middle line:84% Jake says, it made me frustrated and sad. 00:10:27.650 --> 00:10:28.950 align:middle line:90% And then how is it now? 00:10:28.950 --> 00:10:32.230 align:middle line:84% What isn't magical about freeing your mind? 00:10:32.230 --> 00:10:34.210 align:middle line:84% Quite magical sharing your thoughts and love 00:10:34.210 --> 00:10:35.530 align:middle line:90% with the world. 00:10:35.530 --> 00:10:38.890 align:middle line:84% Every time I spell, there is order in a disorderly world 00:10:38.890 --> 00:10:40.690 align:middle line:90% and life. 00:10:40.690 --> 00:10:45.490 align:middle line:84% And Ashton sums it up here, he just says, miserable. 00:10:45.490 --> 00:10:47.730 align:middle line:84% Ethan, not being able to communicate 00:10:47.730 --> 00:10:51.890 align:middle line:84% was like having a cage around my soul. 00:10:51.890 --> 00:10:55.260 align:middle line:84% So that's all for the pre-planned Q and A.