On April 2, World Autism Awareness Day, I gave a TEDx talk at Arcadia University on the theme of “The Big Idea.” My title was “How autism teaches us about being human.” Looking forward to this day, I had written, memorized, planned, and rehearsed.
Nonetheless, as I began telling my story, I was momentarily flooded with emotion. The picture of me holding Tariq at 1 day old with him making eye contact, triggered something I hadn’t planned. It was this time of year in 1981 when my son, Tariq, stopped speaking and started pacing, spinning, and flapping. The words stuck in my throat…
Regaining my balance, I went on to a somewhat different talk than pre-planned. Upon reflection, I wish I had the presence of mind to say right them and there that grief has no schedule. Like autism it’s part of our human nature.
I hope you find my talk helpful and would love hearing your reactions.