Anything, but Ordinary

In 2008, Vancouver Canucks co-owners, Paolo and Clara Aquilini founded Canucks Autism Network also known as CAN. They were inspired by their son who has autism. They want to be able to provide programs to individuals who are on the autism spectrum. They also want to promote acceptance and inclusion through engagement in the community and training initiatives across BC and beyond. https://www.canucksautism.ca/ There are so many young people in BC with autism and they feel lik

I do have to admit that I let fear hold me back. I let fear take control. When I have doubts about something, I convince myself of its fear telling me that I shouldn’t do it even when I know that I should at least try before I walk away. Anxiety plays a part in it too. Sometimes I think they go hand in hand in some situations. If I’m talking myself out of something, I think fear is there to convince that its a scary thing and then the anxiety tells me a whole bunch of things

When I was 16 years old, I was trying to get my learners permit to drive, but I didn’t pass. In fact, it took me fifteen tries over eight years to finally get my learners. Looking back on my first few attempts, I felt like I was pressured into getting my driver's licence because my classmates and peers were getting theirs and I felt like if I got mine, I would be part of the group that got more independence because I was able to get behind the wheel of a car. I realized now t

I’ve been on numerous trips in my life, but I’ve never been out of the country let alone the province by myself. I’ve always traveled with someone like family or a friend. That doesn’t mean I can’t travel by myself. I can do what a person without an autism spectrum disorder can do. I just haven’t felt like it was the right time to travel solo. Sometimes I feel like my autism shows and I don’t want to come off as nervous going through security and having them like I’m hiding

I can’t remember when it started, but it always seems like I had anxiety. When I think I’ve done something wrong, I can’t stop thinking about it. I tend to overthink it. If I don’t speak up and get it off my chest then I feel like it’s going to stay with me. If I tell someone what’s bothering me even when it’s something I didn’t do, I’ll feel better. It could be something I’ve said in the moment or something I could have done, but I panicked and didn’t do it like I should hav

It’s not every day that someone reaches out to me. I never know who is reading my blog or watching my YouTube videos, but every so often, I will get a comment on social media in regards to my Asperger’s or just autism in general. Melissa Lushington came across my YouTube channel. She mentioned on one of my videos that she writes a blog about autism advocacy, independence, and acceptance. She then sent me a heartwarming email about how she is a 25-year-old woman who is on the

I always wanted to be my own boss. I always wanted to be able to do something that I always wanted to and be able to do on my own terms and not have to take direction from anyone. I’ve never been a people person and working with people on a regular basis is overwhelming for me. I’ve never been the one to engage with co-workers or customers. I always had them come to me if they wanted to talk or ask a question. I want to be happy with what I’m doing and not have anxiety about

You would think that since I’m awake at 4:00 in the morning, working the graveyard shift would be perfect. Get paid to stay up all night, but after a while, it really started to take its toll. Since I worked during the night, I would sleep all day and because of that, I felt that there weren't enough hours in the day to get the things I needed to get done before I had to take a nap before heading to work for my 12am shift. It was challenging because as much as I liked the id

I follow the rules. If you tell me not to do something, I won’t do it. Depending on the situation, I may tweak the rules to make it work, but if you know me, you know that I am by the book. If the rules aren’t being followed, I feel guilty about it, especially if it will affect me later on, but sometimes I think breaking them once in a while could be a good thing. It could help you or someone else. Driving is a good example of following the rules. They are there for a reason

I never knew I needed a routine until I didn’t have one anymore. Going to school until I was 18 years old was my routine. When I graduated in 2006, I realized that I needed something. I needed to do the same thing everyday. Being able to do something everyday is something that a person with autism/aspergers can control. It could be the smallest thing like getting the mail from the mailbox, going to the coffee shop at the same time everyday or if someone is able to, going to w