Between Spectrums

Opening Doors to New Worlds

Hey Readers

Sorry that it took a while. I was trying to find something to write about. But now I found the inspiration.

A while ago I watched a TV movie about Temple Grandin,  It showed certain points in her live leading up to her talking about autism. When she was expelled from college she went to a boarding school so that she can gain some education. She was having a tough time understanding things. Then it was discovered by her teacher Dr. Carlock, that she is a visual learner. With that in mind, her teachers helped her and she excelled in science. Then she goes back to college with her major in animal husbandry, study of livestock. At first she didn't want to go back to college but Dr. Carlock said "Think of it as a door to new world". So after college she goes to the slaughter house and it was there that she noticed that the cows behavior, like going in circles. She decided to have her thesis to be about the behavior of cows. But after sneaking in the slaughter house she was banned from entering. So it was then that she entered to a new door and wrote about her studies on the livestock. So with a pass she was able to go to the slaughter house and continue her studies. Then after being well known about her articles, She was hired to design a more humane way to give the cows the calm they need as they are about to be slaughtered. But there were people who ruined the design because they didn't see it importance of it which caused Temple to be angry. Then she went to a slaughter house and convinced the people of the slaughter house that her design would helped out in the process. It proved to be very useful. Then she went to an autism convention and from an outburst she talked her autism and what she personally knows about autism. She is now a professor of animal science in Colorado State University and goes to autism conventions to discuss autism.

When I was a kid I would sometimes run around and seem to talk to myself. I'm not crazy I it just means that I have an imagination to create characters and adventures of the said characters. It wasn't until I was 16 around August 2007, That I started to my first book. Which led to writing sequels to it and coming up with more ideas for books. Then it was around 2011 that I decided to write a TV series and get ideas for TV shows. Then as soon as I got back from my mission I decided to write a movie and get movie ideas. From what started from writing a book it led to the dream of being a jack of all trades of writing. It wasn't till a year later that my parents wanted me to write a blog about my experiences with my autistic traits. I was hesitant about the idea because I didn't want to mislead anyone into to thinking I'm autistic or aspergers because I'm not. But after thinking about it I wanted to inspire people so with some help, I'm now writing to inspire.

Like Temple and myself, people with autism or autistic traits can open doors to new worlds that they're interested in and they can make excellent careers from them. We just need to encourage them to open the said doors. Everyone has the potential to be incredible in their chosen fields we just need to show them where the door is at.

I would recommend the movie "Temple Grandin"  if you want to know more about Temple Grandin's life. If you have any questions just comment below. Also feel free to check out the Facebook page.

Thank you for your time
Tay Gallagher

Between Spectrums

True Colors

Hey Readers

This week the blog's Facebook page just uploaded it's first video. It's a music video from a kid who goes by his rapper name MattyB. He does his version of Cyndi Lauper's song "True Colors". In the video we see a young girl with downs syndrome who goes to a group of girls and asked if she can play with them. But you can tell from their looks that they don't want to be near her cause she's weird. So the leader of the group leads them away from the downs syndrome girl, causing the said girl to feel sorrow. As she goes home, another girl sees how the other girls treated her. So she follows her. When the downs syndrome girl gets home, Her mother goes and cheers her up by making cookies with her. Then the mother hears the door bell and asks her daughter to go see who it is. And to her surprise she sees the girl who followed her. She asked if she can play to which the downs syndrome girl gladly pulls her in her house. They played with dolls and dress up and just having a good time, in which warms the heart of the mother. As the girls draw on the driveway, the group of girls that rejected the downs syndrome girl walked by and noticed that they were coloring. Three of the girls went but the leader was hesitant and then follows them. As they walked up, the downs syndrome girl invites them to color with them. After much coloring, we see that they drew a rainbow. And we see the leader happy to see that the downs syndrome girl is a good person.

Now let's look at the lyrics for a moment. In the video a girl named Olivia Key sings

You with the sad eyes

Don't be discouraged, Oh realize

It's hard to take courage

In a world full of people

You can loose sight of it all

All the dreams inside you

But you feel so small.

It can indeed be discouraging in a world of people who don't truly what goes on in the mind of a person of the spectrum. It can be hard to take courage but when we do we can show that we won't loose sight of the dreams we have and we don't have to feel small.

Then MattyB comes in with.

I can a couple of things

That should never change

Like the feeling of happiness

That you get when you're 

With friends on a summer day

The simple things:

How we work, how we play

How we all should treat each other the same

You acceptance isn't easy though

It challenges us all in some way 

Whether it's color, age, gender, or race

We get uncomfortable 

When someone else is different

And they enter our space 

And it pressures us to be open to change

But take a moment 

Flip the script and try to picture this with roles rearranged

Because your different 

You experience hate

Mistreated not because of actions 

That you've taken or a terrible mistake

But hated on because of your DNA 

Acceptance can be tough and at times uncomfortable. But as we "Flip the script" and see in their perspective, We can see that some people are hated because of who they are. Especially those who are severely autistic and downs syndrome, Which can be uncontrolled. Hate can be damaging to ones self-esteem, especially to those who can take friendly teasing to seriously. So if we take time to look in the perspective of those spectrum we can see how we should more courteous and caring to them.

Continuing with the song

It's crazy all the types

People we can characterize

We laugh when friends tell

Us a story and they start to describe

In funny ways a group of 

People through a stereotype

But when it points back at you

Hold up, that isn't true

You see it's never doing

Harm until it feels unfair

And then we speak up

But wonder why no one else cares

I think the truth is that

We all just want a place to fit in

It's hard enough to find friends

Much less for some other kid

But if we're honest inside

And really wanna do right

Judging others for something 

They have no control over might

Be comical at times

But that'd make me less of a man

The bigger thing I think

Is standing as a leader instead

Sometimes we make fun of people without thinking about how they feel, especially those of the spectrum. But when people make fun of us we sometimes take offense and do what we can to keep our reputations from being tainted. That could make us wonder. Does this person feel this way when I say cruel things about him/her? Don't ever think that those of the spectrum can't feel because they indeed can. If we are honest inside we can change the trend of speaking badly of others and stand as leaders for change. 

Finishing up

I keep believing for the day

We put our difference aside 

And let a person be themselves

Before we cover our eyes

Imagine life without the boundaries

We create with our pride 

And opportunities we loose

Because we judge from inside 

I'm trying hard to rationalize

How somebody can spot a

Splinter with a log in their eye 

There's a legacy that we're 

All equal and the answer is love.

The answer indeed is love. Just like how the kind girl lead an example and was a friend to the downs syndrome girl because of love, We can show love to those of the spectrum. Regardless of who they are or what the have. Love breaks down the boundaries of our pride and allows us to see perfectly. Because those of the spectrum can show they're true colors if we allow them to. I encourage you to show that love to them and show your true colors to them and they will show theirs to you and together you are like the rainbow.

If you want to listen to the song just go to YouTube and look for "True Colors" by MattyB and if you have any questions on autism please comment below. And please check out the Facebook page.

Thank you for your time

Tay Gallagher

Between Spectrums

A Friendship Without Words

Hey Readers

Sorry that I didn't make a post last Thursday. I was pretty busy but now I got time to make this post.

When one is autistic and nonverbal, making friends can be hard. But that doesn't stop Skyler and Kreed from being friends. Besides both of them having autism and being nonverbal, Skyler has Usher  syndrome, deaf, and losing his peripheral vision. While Kreed has mitochondrial disease, hypothyroidism, epilepsy, and his only way to communicate is a device that talks for him. When Kreed's mother explained to him that Skyler was deaf and also nonverbal like him he wanted to be friends with him. He even calls him his best friend. And so they're friendship begins. And like any other teenager, they hang out, eat pizza, watch movies, and give each other a helping hand. Because of his peripheral vision, going to new places can be scary for Skyler. So Kreed gives him the help he needs. And Skyler gives Kreed the confidence he needs to be himself and to be the one helps and not be helped. Though they can speak, save Kreed's device, they can communicate to each other in their own way. These guys like to be around each other and their friendship is a testament of selflessness of  any people. 

Growing up I do make friends. But it's tough maintaining the friendships you make. It sometimes remembering some names of great people I met can make it difficult. Even though I remember them I sometimes can't place the name. I served a mission in Kentucky and I would love to visit the people I met. But sometimes I wonder would I remember them? Would they remember me? Would they be glad to see me? Or regard me as a distant memory like how sometimes see people? Sometimes it can be lonely but the one way that keeps out of depression is remembering that I do have friends and family and a Heavenly Father that do care about me and love me. 

We as good people should reach out to people, whether autistic or not. Some people can be shy and nonverbal so we should try to help them come out of their shell by being their friend. And if we are shy ourselves we can try to reach out and be friends who want to be friends with us. Friendship is essential to ones happiness. Let's extend that happiness.

For more info on Skyler and Kreed just go to the Kreed's World blog by his mother Erin. If you have any questions about autism please comment below. And feel free to check out the Facebook page of the blog.

Thank you for your time

Tay Gallagher