leo in bloom magazine

Dear Friends,

Well, it is April already! It has been a while since our October issue. But we are back for this month of awareness and acceptance and action! And no matter where you are in your journey from awareness to action, I encourage you to always aspire to further learning and application of that learning. That is so important, and so needed!

So…autism. Are you aware of it? How aware, really? Is it true awareness, or a more shallow and possibly skewed notion of knowing something? I am asking you all to honestly answer these questions for yourselves. And for my part, I acknowledge that my awareness is limited to my sector of the autistic experience, as a nonspeaker with high support needs. Even within that, my awareness is mainly reflective of my own flavor of nonspeaking autism. I have friends with very different support needs and motor difficulties and co-occurring diagnoses.

I know we as a broader community are generally trying to push the focus from awareness to acceptance. But this doesn’t mean we can stop growing in awareness. And this is an ongoing action that will strengthen acceptance.

So, I am thrilled to introduce this issue focused on April’s assorted mandates regarding autism. And I am extra thrilled to introduce Nick Pentzell as our new co-editor! Nick is a sublime writer and thinker, and I had long admired his brilliant poems at Neurolyrical Café before striking up a great friendship and inviting him to join me on Leo in Bloom. I am so absolutely excited to be collaborating with him!

So please stay tuned for this month’s pieces! I am so happy you are with us!

Your Friend,

Danny