Autism and Humanity - Understanding ASD (Wild Horse FM, Yarraman)

By Melanie Doheny

I am 46, single female with no kids. I find loud noises and
shopping centres extremely stressful. Then you add small children
having tantrums and I find the experience completely
intolerable.

Why can’t parents just bloody-well deal out some discipline and
consider those around them? I just don’t understand why they just
can’t control their children and stop giving in to the tantrums and
drama. Seriously, just shut up!

Asperger’s, I mean really what is that? A type of green stalky
vegetable?

Well that’s what I thought until I began helping at a charity
called Bellamour west of the regional town of Toowoomba in South
East Queensland.

Bellamour provides equine and farm based therapy for people with
autism. During 2013, I was employed by Bellamour to help secure
funding for a sensory garden and infrastructure to facilitate the
equine therapy programs. This was when I realised that I had
absolutely no idea what AUTSIM was. Not only that, I completely
underestimated the stress that accompanied parenting a child with
autism.

Autism isn’t an intellectual disability and not a mental health
issue. It is an extremely complex disorder that affects many
aspects of how a person with autism's brain works. I don’t think
autism is a disability. The disability lies in how we treat those
with autism.

The journey of the last 3 months in making this documentary has
been one of great personal growth. I also now understand better why
I find loud noises and shopping centres extremely stressful. But
that is story for another time!

Meet:
Treena Brown, CEO Bellamour and Friend
Karen Illife – Volunteer at Bellamour and Mother of two children
with Autism
Dylan – VO talent
James Illife – Son of Karen, and future General Manager of
Bellamour
Audrey – my trusty 4WD Landcruiser

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