In this week's conversation, Donna Brendel (USA) introduces and interviews her friend from across the globe, @orionkelly Orion Kelly (Australia), a content creator, podcaster, author, and advocate for autism. They did into Orion's book, "Autism Feels: An Earthling's Guide" and page by page reminisce through shared experiences of childhood costumes, attachment to things, bullying, being sent to stay with family, the importance of alone time, how helpful key people were to integral to their lives, and parenting autistic children.

Coming up next week in Part 3...
In this part of the conversation, Orion and Donna will discuss the importance of having lived experience voices in parenting and the workforce. They emphasize the need for autistic individuals to be involved in helping parents raise their autistic children and in providing insights to professionals in various fields. They also highlight the significance of understanding and accommodating autistic individuals in settings such as criminal justice, mental health, healthcare, and employment. Orion shares his perspective on how autistic people can offer unique insights and contribute to better outcomes. They also touch on the topic of social interactions and how autistic individuals may have different default greetings and reactions to new people.

Coming up in two weeks in Part 4...
In this part of the conversation, Donna and Orion will discuss how autism affects individuals physically, including the impact on self-care and the tendency to forget basic needs. They also explore the challenges of explaining special interests versus hobbies and the importance of understanding and acceptance from family and friends. The conversation highlights the need for increased awareness and understanding of autism's physical manifestations and the importance of advocating for better nutrition and overall well-being.

Coming up sometime in the future...
Donna and Orion have barely scratched the surface of Orion's book. They have so much more to talk about, so watch for their next AFChLAG later this year... Autistic Friends Chatting & Laughing Around the Globe, that is...

Chapters:
00:00 Introduction and Digging into Orion's book, "Autism Feels: An Earthling's Guide"
00:58 Childhood Costumes
04:15 Attachment to Things
04:59 Bullying - It Never Ends
08:30 Being "Shipped Off" to Family
11:25 Autism Genetic Paternal Link and "Maternal Cocktail"
13:33 Alone Time - Getting Away to Breathe
15:41 But for These People...
17:30 You Just Need Someone to Believe in You
17:35 The Angry Parent Trap
18:13 When Our Kids Are Masking at School
20:33 When You're a Parent of an Autistic Kid