Empowering Journeys: Stories and Insights from the Autism Community

David 4.2.2024 I would like to live at the house where I live now because I am happy there and I have my own room. I want to live with my dad and my mom. I would not like to live on my own. It would be difficult to use the dining room and it would be difficult to...

MY NAME IS JULIAN REISS. I WAS 12 YEARS OLD WHEN I STARTED SPEAKING. NOW I WORK AT JOYDEW. JOYDEW IS A GOOD TEAM. WE HOPE TO HAVE NEW FRIENDS IN JOYDEW NOW! Julian 3.26.2024 MY FAVORITE VACATION WAS IRELAND. I WENT A FEW YEARS AGO WITH MY FAMILY. I SAW ALOT AND WENT...

Dov 12.6.2023 I think work ethic is how you work. I don’t always work as well as I would like to because I can get distracted. It is always good to work even if you get distracted. It is in some way a good idea to do good work when it is for your job or your home. It...

Andrew 11.29.2023 I like precure I like fresh, heartcatch and delicious party precure I like the storyline and the fights I like the characters good or bad I like the dances and the opening I like momozono love nagomi yui and haruno haruka If I want to be a precure I...

Jonathan 11.15.23 I have the great and wonderful work ethic. I am working hard everyday at JoyDew. Yes this is very important to have the strongest work ethic. I think this means getting all the right jobs done and to try my best. I can get busy and distracted and...

Monica 11.15.2023 Having a good work ethic means working hard and getting all your chores finished. If you get all of your chores done you won’t have any more chores to do. I think having a good work ethic is important because if you do not have a good work ethic, you...

Matthew 11.15.23 A work ethic is working hard to be on time in the workplace. Work Ethic is important because, show members and staff that I can complete work efficiently and effectively and help me achieve my personal and professional goals and strong staff and...

Kyla is a very happy girl in JOYDEW. I am going to be the best employee at JoyDew by working hard and training. Come here to find new friends! Kyla 10.2.2023 Ridgewood’s JoyDew is much better than the old location. I think it is positive because it is a good change....

My Name Is Randy. I Like To Go Swimming In The Pool. I Play The Guitar. I Like Doing Activities At JoyDew Like Yoga And Animation. Come Join The Fun. Randy 9.18.2023 My Dream Place To Live Would be To Go to Hawaii Because I Like To Go Swimming In The Ocean. I Would...

My name is Gil. I am unable to speak but I am a great typer. I have autism but it doesn’t mean that I am not smart. I want to become a radiology assistant and a journalist. Please join us at JoyDew, the more friends the better! Gil 6.14.2023 I think taking perspective...

My name is William, you can call me Will. As a non-speaking person, a picture of growth really gives me hope. I am mostly upbeat. It gives me kinship to understand making art on social media. I am an advocate for autism. I have spoken at many cities and conferences....

Tal 5.25.2023 I would define the team as the ball . It is the ball because we have funlike a party. It is the place where we can just have my best friends and have our own goals that we accomplish together. The three things a good team needs is the good leader, the...

Vahe 5.19.2023 Working together is part of being a team. Qualities of being a team are working together, and another is paying attention, and finally being respectful. Getting along with everyone. Being with people and working together is my favorite part about...

Gil 5.9.2023 I think 10 years from now is a long time. My big dream is to be a radiology assistant. I want to work at JoyDew when I am really old. I think it is time for me to teach classes. Really good to have the chance to share what I have learned. There was one...

Tal 3.21.2023 I Think that deaf people have to be thinking more. That might come as the obvious but some people don't realize. Deaf people have to think more than others because many times we have to understand everything in ways that can make information...

Chris 12.7.2022 The short story was a very long process. I had a lot of ideas about my characters, the orangutan tribe. This was all a lot of work. It was a lot of work to analyze the characters in the chart. It was really good to clearly define all the characters...

William3.10.2022 I like to document my thoughts for other people to understand me better. I use my voice to soothe myself. Using my voice to enjoy the sound it makes. Really the voice is for me not others. I feel like my soft voice is nice to listen to. I think by...

Tal 3.10.2022 I vocalize to feel my voice because I can't hear. I know you don’t understand it because you can hear. In my case it is a pleasing sensation that helps me focus. I know it can be distracting to others and I am very sorry about it. I need to think about...

Chris 3.10.22 I communicate mostly by typing but also with my voice and sometimes sign language. I use my voice to soothe myself and regulate. It’s hard to control when I am excited. I think it is a bit overwhelming when a lot of people vocalize. It can be very...

Amir   3.10.2022 We All Communicate Differently, Everyone Runs At Their Own Speed And It Takes For Some People To Say What's On Their Mind. If We Ask A Question To Someone And If We Keep Asking Then It Would Be Hard For Them To Get Their Thoughts Out. If Someone Can’t...

Gil  3.10.2022 You may think it is ok to vocalize during class, but I feel it is very distracting. I need to focus on my work and the noise makes it very difficult. I feel that I am very good at controlling my voice and I think I am good at helping other people be...

Christian 11/17/2021  I Write A Journal To Get Busy To Help Me To Relax. I am Proud, Hard Working Man. I Knew It Because I am Smart And Proud. Yes, I am Caring, Funny, Smart, Friendly, Good Mood, Green Zone, My Mind and Focusing On My Work Makes Me Confident. I Say My...

Gil 11.17.21  I believe that every person is the reflection of their image. For example, if someone is confident and believes in himself, he can go as far as their dreams. For me it is the ability to work hard and the belief that I am smart and capable. I am proud of...

William  11/11/2021   I am proud of my ability to be an advocate for myself. I believe that I can be a great person and I am very smart. It is not always easy but I keep trying. I am positive that I will get to the place I want to go. It may not be easy but I can do...

Matthew  11/4/2021 Yes, I cast my vote in the last election. I put my ballot in the mail. My voting experience is to take the vote so that makes me feel good. Because it feels empowered. Voting is important because, working on percentages is important to winning. 1st...

11/2/2021  Trey  When you find your happy place Life can lead you to a saving grace Autism may mean misunderstood But it’s still a gift to livelihood My friends and the staff at JoyDew fill me with glee When I’m around them they are like family to me Music and Disney...

Tal 11/2/2021 I am a man of many feelings. I can be happy, I can be sad, I can be silly and I can be bad. I understand the need to rhyme but it doesn’t always happen. I look at the words and they keep jumping. I feel it is nice to quietly be in my world It feels so...

JULIAN 9/29/2021  IT WAS VERY GOOD WORK BECAUSE IT HELPS ME TO RELAX BETTER.  WHEN I TAKE DEEP BREATHS TO HELP ME COMMUNICATE.  IT HELPS YOU RELAX MORE.  TAKING A DEEP BREATHS HELPS ME TO CALM MY BODY.  BREATHING HELPS ME CALM MY BODY BY MAKING ME STOP AND THINK.  BY...

Ciara 9/29/2021 I Am a Music Teacher who loves songs. I Dream about Star Longs. You Like Respect the words. And those are Beautiful songbirds. This Is Little Light of Mine I've Got Let a Shine. I Like to Play Musical Chairs. I Shared at the Fairs. I Love to Sing. And...

Monica 9/29/2021  I want to explain what love means to me. The way that my parents show me love is by hugging me which is a physical touch. And the way my boyfriend shows me love is by telling me that I love you. He gets me gifts. My boyfriend gets me gifts because he...

Jake 9/2021 The main community that I am part of is the people who help me do well at tasks and assingments, including my ABA staff and family. Having them to help me in tough situations makes me feel more comfortable. To me, being part of a community is meant to...

Mark 09/28/2021 I think that friends are making me want to be the way I am the best I can be. l I like to be the best friend to the people I like, because they help me and I help them. I am a very friendly person. Because I like to be with other people. I am the one...

Jake 9/23/2021  When I meet friends, I want them to be nice and have a good personality. This is just because I care about people who are friendly. If they like what I like, that’s even better. It’s just the people with special needs and are non-verbal that trigger my...

Jonathan 9/23/2021 I look for big hearts and party. Its important because the kindest people are big hearted. I like to party rock. Partying is important to relax. People like me because i am funny to think about and for video watching. I think my joydew friends are...

Julian 9/23/2021 IT WAS VERY GOOD WORK BECAUSE IT HELPS ME TO RELAX BETTER. WHEN I TAKE DEEP BREATHS TO HELP ME COMMUNICATE. IT HELPS YOU RELAX MORE. TAKING A DEEP BREATHS HELPS ME TO CALM MY BODY. BREATHING HELPS ME CALM MY BODY BY MAKING ME STOP AND THINK. BY...

Mark 9/2/2021 I think I need to work the staying calm with my voice, and it's hard for friends to work with the noise. If it feels happy inside and my voice must come out. It’s my first time to be in a place where I am a part of the community. I have trouble seeing it...

Matthew 9/1/2021 I took pictures at the Garden field trip. I took photos of the Statues, Flowers, Plants, Benches, Grasses, Mansions and Mushrooms. I saw the statue and it's tall as The Empire State Building. The statue is boring and the statue is falling asleep. The...

Dov 8/19/2021   Physical touch is important because His important to remind me where I am. I like to be around my family. Sometimes I get stuck in my head. It’s tough to get out of my head. Walking around Helps me to understand what’s happening Around me. I need to...

Jake 7/15/2021 To me, the pandemic altered my learning experience because when it hit, I was about three quarters of the way through my junior year, so I had to do the last few months via Zoom. I was very disappointed at first, but I actually preferred it and stuck...

Mark 7/15/2021 I've been in had a big change in my life. I was very lonely all the time. Now I am with my friends. It is very hard to be in a group home during the pandemic. It is a lonely life to be in a place where there are no friends or family. The happy feeling...

Christian 7/15/2021 I Saw Less Friends During Pandemic. I Really Miss My Friends During Quarantine. It Was A Little Bit Hard To Focus During Quarantine. It Felt Easy To Go Back To %COMPANY%. Hanging Out With Friends Again Made Me Feel Happy. Seeing Staff In Person...

Chris 7/15/2021 My family learned a lot about me. I learned about in my family The hard world we have to deal with. On your home computer it's easy to try to listen in to class. I think being online i got more time with my happy family. I miss the help from leanne...

Christian I Enjoy Using a Computer to Work on my own. it’s important to focus on my work. Having friends sometimes gives me a Headache, however I am better today. Ideas for jobs are Librarian, Accountant, Lawyer, Blogger, Archaeologist, Journalist, Computer...

By Mark I am happy To learn. Opening Meeting Movement walk in the morning. I like job training of cyber security. It is nice to have support and training. I like doing smart things. I like doing challenging stuff. I can be a good worker.

Trey The job I am most interested at %COMPANY% is robotics. I love robotics because robots can be used to build and improve things. Such as, helping people like veterans who lost their limbs or children with cancer, entertainment like music or movies, and for...

By Chris The very best job for me is finding patterns. This is the job of pattern recognition. I like to do the fun jobs like cybersecurity. I do computer health checks to make sure the computer is updated. I am great at all the jobs I try, because I want to have a...

Dov Miami Boys chore is an inspiration to me. The Mami Boys choir makes me want to be a better singer and keyboardist. The choir makes beautiful music and I want too as well. This choir encourages me to be my best musician.

By Julian I INSPIRE MYSELF. I WORK REALLY HARD. I HAVE OVERCOME A LOT OF THINGS I AM A SMART GUY I CAN DO A LOT. I AM A GREAT SWIMMING ATHLETE. I AM ALWAYS LEARNING. I LIKE TO READ COMPLEX BOOKS. I AM WORKING TOWARDS BEING THE BEST JULIAN I CAN BE. PEOPLE CAN BE...

Trey What civil rights mean to me is fighting for equality and freedom against hate, anger, racism, discrimination, sexism, violence and other circumstances. The most important civil rights for people with autism is bringing awareness about it. If they bring...

By Gil I don’t like change at all, and I like it when I know that is going to happen. If I don’t know what is going to happen, I am getting anxious. I prefer to know in advance what to expect. I do not always I know what to expect, and this makes me upset. If I know...

Trey When I’m around people at %COMPANY%, I feel happy because I get to make new friends easily. It feels like I’m in my childhood years again. It was hard during my middle school, high school, and college years because the people I tried to make friends or to find...

I like to work as a radiology assistant In medical imaging I learned a lot. I learned how to spot differences. I find the difference in between pictures of x rays I like working with Moish I want to help catch cancer A job where I save lives is a good job

By Gil I am very good advocating for other people. I was the key note speaker in a few conferences. It was in the dare to dream conferences. This is a special conference for people with disabilities. People with disabilities are special people and they have many...

By Tal I believe that communication is a human right. If you don’t have communication, you can’t express yourself. If I need to be understood then I need to have a way to communicate my needs. I preferer to use fc to communicate my ideas and needs. When I am...

By Gil I am a very motivated person that can be good employee. Finally, I am ready to start working. I am ready to start being a radiologist assistant. It is a very good job for me because I like to help people. The most important thing is to be responsible and work...

By Tal I am ready to be employed. I have been training to be a radiologist assistant for the last few months and I feel that I am ready to begin my employment. It is the best feeling to know that I can help other people. My first choice is to be the breast cancer...

By Matthew I feel great. I have learned about a lot of different Job Trainings like Cyber Security, Robotics, Social Media, Budgeting, Medical Imaging, Pattern Recognition, Leadership and Mentorship. It is fun and I always feel happy. I had a lot of time to double...

By Tal The dog was under the tree. The underdog was under the other dog. The two dogs were in the forest. The forest was in the abord of the world. The world was in the great universe. So the first dog was the last to leave the universe.

By Jonathan I am very much a person that knows what change is all about. I had many changes in my life. I moved from one program to another many times. You may think that it is not a big deal but for me it is. I am not always feeling good about changing programs...

By Dov In my life I started playing the piano. I hate practicing the piano Trap music is my favorite. I like trap music. Piano gives my brain exercise. Piano teaches your patience. I like to play piano and sing. I like to play music for my friends. Music makes me feel...

By Chris You are not ready for any change unless you are starting it already. You should be very aware of the difference in life experiences to feel comfortable with the changes. I think it is not about the time the change is happening but more about what the change...

By Gil It is very important to be able to be a good example when you are trying to help someone else. You need to be calm and collected when you are trying to help. I am developing a good way to help others by showing example. I consider it a strong progress and I am...

By Andrew I would like to get more sleep. I get distracted by YouTube. my brain work overtime at night. Sometimes I think about Basketball When I wake up, I feel grouchy It's hard for me to have conversations when I'm tired

By Jonathan I am very much a person that knows what change is all about. I had many changes in my life. I moved from one program to another many times. You may think that it is not a big deal but for me it is. I am not always feeling good about changing programs...

By Gil I think that music is a language. It is a language because it talks without speaking. You can tell stories that are only in sounds. From classical music to modern electronic music they don't use singing. These genres can tell their stories that are just as...

By Jonathan I doing now the best ever works. Just I'm the very best the radiologist assistant. Now I'm much more independent in my session. I'm saving lives by helping Moish find where the cancer may be. Now I helped find the day programs in Bergen for people with...

By Antonio I Like To Play Music With Family. I Like To Play Piano. I Like To Learn New Songs. Music Is An Old Thing Everyone Loves. I Like To Learn About Music In School. Everyone Likes Music. I Want To Play Guitar And Flute. Playing An Instrument Makes You Feel Good....

Gil 7/6/2020 Going Google Getting Goofy If I Incapable I Invisible Looking Like Love Lost LOL Talking To Think Today Tough Out On Outrageous Output Victory Vote Very Volingly.

Jake 1.17.2024 I think the best thing about the internet is that there are tons of things waiting to be discovered by many people. You can get a lot of facts via websites and video content. For me, it allows me to see a lot of good supercars and compare them to modern...