Allow me to introduce myself...

Post Reply New Topic

...My name is Alena, though my name here is Nuances of Blue. I joined this site because of Andrew, my 18 year old brother-in-law, who was diagnosed with Autism at three years old. Before Andrew, I knew very little about any kind of disability or special needs lifestyle. When I was little I spent some time with my much older uncle, who had Down's Syndrome, but he moved away before I was six years old, and my understanding of the issues was vague at best.

I met Andrew when he was fifteen years old, and while it took me some time to learn how to interact with him properly, I fell in love with his innocence, his intelligence, and his quiet soul. I have always been a very social person, and Andrew is the first person I have met with whom I can be completely silent for hours on end, and still feel as if I have communed with him!

A typical day with Andrew went thus:

Andrew and I would watch some cartoon on television, then head into town together. Stopping at Walmart, Andrew would pick out something he wanted (usually Legos), and we would admire any new displays of toys before paying, and heading back to the car. We might stop at the grocery store, but our trips were always short and sweet. On the way home we always stopped at Dairy Queen for a Dilly Bar, or at our favorite gas station for a soda - Code Red Mountain Dew, always! Then home again, to watch Nick (my husband) and Sam (youngest boy) play Super Smash Brothers or Guitar Hero. Throughout our trip, perhaps four or five minutes of conversation, carried by myself, accented by random thoughts from Andrew. But no matter how random the comment, it always tied in to something from earlier in the day, and sometimes from a previous outing.

These are memories I cherish!

Andrew and his younger brother moved to another state this summer, and my husband (Andrew's big brother) and I also relocated. In the last half a year, we have seen Andrew three times, and while those visits were short, he always has a hug and kiss for me, his favorite sister-in-law.

Some Info on Me

What is your first name? Alena

Age: 23

Location: Wyoming, USA

Hobbies and Interests: Scrap booking, advocacy, music, autism, singing, reading, writing, journaling, blogging, photography

Why are you here? My brother-in-law has Autism - it opened my eyes to this unique group of individuals, and I want to learn more, and be involved in any way I can, to show the world that those with Autism are not injured or inferior, but very special people with a lot to offer!

Favorite subjects: Social change, my faith, my husband, Andrew, babies, motherhood, music

Year/Grade: I graduated high school in 2004, graduated from Big Sky Bible Institute in 2005 with a certificate in Biblical Studies, and am one year into an Associate of Science degree in Social Science.

Favorite music: Christian praise/worship, various contemporary pop/rock (like Pink, Plain White Tees, etc).

Books: "Obsessed" by Ted Dekker, "A Gathering of Finches" and "Love to Water My Soul" by Jane Kirkpatrick. Lots of others - I LOVE to read!

TV shows/Movies: Pride & Prejudice, Nacho Libre, Alien (whole series), Pixar movies.

Instrument: I was learning to play piano and guitar, but don't currently own either, so that's on hold. I sing!

Do you like sports? Yes - I used to play touch football with kids from church, and basket ball whenever I could. I love to go to hockey games! Boxing is neat, too - my grampa and his two brothers held Montana's Golden Gloves in the mid 1900's!

Family: I am the oldest of six children, one of whom is my step-brother. His father adopted all of my siblings and me when he married my mom, when I was fifteen. I have a wonderful grandmother (my mom's mother), and several fantastic aunts and uncles! My husband's family is amazing, too - I am greatly blessed with a large, loving family.

Clothing: I don't really have a style evident in my clothing right now, but I like to think of myself as casual-elegant, with a big touch of earth-child!

How did you find this website? In a string of links on Livejournal.

Job: Currently, I provide private childcare for a baby girl, in her home. This fall I plan to open my own daycare in my home, for infants to two year olds.

Plans for the future? I hope to be a mother one day soon. I have been dealing with fertility issues for the past two years, and I am currently working to better my lifestyle, to increase my chances of conception. My husband and I have already decided that (regardless of whether we ever conceive, ourselves) we want to adopt at least one child.

Any comments? I think this site is a God-send! I am excited to learn more about Autism, and meet more amazing people.

Welcome to wrong planet, Alena! I'm new here as well, I think it's great you're taking an interest in autistic issues, it sounds like your brother-in-law is very lucky to have such and understanding sister-in-law. The people on here are very diverse, I'm sure you'll find them very interesting to get to know.

To WrongPlanet!! !

Hello, and welcome to the Wrong Planet neighborhood, Alena.

Hi Alena and welcome to join the forum and talk with us!
I like your story about Andrew. He is very lucky that his brother married such a caring person who is interested and keen too his needs. Its wonderful to read that you can understand his way of communication and also appreciate it. Im sure your husband feel very grateful that you accepted his brother as a natural part in the family that comes with him.
I hope you will find this forum as useful in your interest in getting to know Andrew better!

Thank you, everyone who has welcomed me to WrongPlanet! I am excited to get to know you better, and yes, to learn more so I can have an even better relationship with Andrew. Nick (my husband) is his oldest sibling, and Andrew may come to live with us one day, so I want to know everything I can to better be able to support and love him!