From the article:
Quote:
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Wolf Dunaway calls himself the autistic werewolf. It's how he describes his internal struggle with autism.
"When I was young, I would flap, I would sit on the floor and spin," Dunaway said. "Everybody, I mean everybody, with the exception of my parents, believed that I would never amount to anything. I was told that so much I believed it."
For almost two decades, Dunaway lived in Section 8 housing and barely worked. Now, his life is completely different. He owns a condo overlooking Baltimore County, and he makes great money as a high-level technology specialist at the Social Security Administration. In his late 30s, he went back to school and learned about computers.
"Having a job gives you the freedom of saying that you're living based on what you've earned, you're contributing to society," Dunaway said.
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"This is not a problem that's going away. The diagnostic structure of autism continues and people don't stop being autistic because they graduate," said Ami Taubenfeld, director of Itineris, a nonprofit that helps young autistic adults find jobs.
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"Families are finding their young adults are falling off the cliff at the age of 21, so this is a very serious need," Taubenfeld said.
"I think we're dealing with anxiety, depression. People who are not included and don't have friends or relationships, and they don't have a sense of contributing back to their community," said Dr. Lisa Crabtree, who researches autism and employment and runs a unique program at Towson University that trains hiring managers about employing autistic adults.
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"The biggest handicap with autism is other people's expectations of what we can become," Dunaway said.
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"The truth is, I want to be like you, I want to be neuro-typical, and I really wouldn't mind being normal because the thing is, no matter what I do, I am always going to be this. I'll always be the werewolf," Dunaway said.
Wolf Dunaway is WP's "Alphawolf". He goes-around the country, making speeches and telling people it's okay to be imperfect. THREE CHEERS, for Alphawolf!! (BTW, he also has a brother and a nephew with ASD.)
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White female; age 59; diagnosed Aspie.
I use caps for emphasis----I'm NOT angry or shouting. I use caps like others use italics, underline, or bold.
"What we know is a drop; what we don't know, is an ocean." (Sir Isaac Newton)
08 May 2017, 3:22 pm
