John Elder Robison made some waves this week when he publicly resigned from his position on the Science and Treatment Board of Autism Speaks.  (See his blog about this decision and his letter of resignation here: http://jerobison.blogspot.com/2013/11/i-resign-my-roles-at-autism-speaks.html.)  After reading this, I had many thoughts about our campers and our community.

I can only imagine what it feels like to be labeled as “disabled”.  In our six summers running Akeela, I have learned that our campers are extremely “abled” and have many talents to celebrate.  Do our campers (and their families) struggle?  Are there difficult moments, days, weeks, years?  Are there challenges that seem small and others that are life-altering and terrible scary?  Yes – of course.  However, in order for our campers to reach their enormous potential, they must be shown that they are capable of achieving their goals.

What has been most profound for me, as a director at Camp Akeela, has been watching how powerful a community can be.  Our campers, who are often left on the outside (by individual peers, by society at large, or by institutions that liken them to the “gravely ill”) thrive when they are part of a community – when they truly feel accepted and valued for who they are.  I wish that more people could see our campers at Akeela so that they could witness their successes.  Of course I support organizations that help advance science and look towards treatments that can help make the lives of those living with autism easier/better/happier.  I just wish those same organizations were also honoring and supporting the communities which celebrate the same individuals.

I want to honor JER’s leadership as he champions the rights of the ASD community.  He is certainly an example of the amazing contributions those on the spectrum make to our larger world community.

– Debbie