HI EVERYBODY,
My name is Caoimh.
I am 19 years old. I am autistic and non-speaking. I live in Ashbourne in a residential house. I have a dedicated and fun team of carers who look after me and keep me safe. We have great times together. Sometimes my crazy body makes our lives so hard, yet they stay by my side and support me. I cannot control my body but I can control my mind and I am so grateful for them every day.
I am autistic and I need help with the simplest tasks because I have a brain-body disconnect known as Apraxia. This means that my mind works perfectly but the messages that it sends to my body get mixed up and my body does something completely different. Most days are spent battling with my body. It is so exhausting. I have so many loops that I cannot break. I have so many impulsive behaviours that I cannot stop. I would mainly not change my autism but I would love a break from my body every now and again. My Autism is a mixed bag of emotions. Every day is a rollercoaster and I need so much help to stay sane. Depression plagues me and sometimes it is so hard to even get out of bed. But I have so much I want to achieve. I have so many hopes and dreams. I want to go to college to study English literature. I want to publish my own words to advocate for my tribe of non-speaking autistics. I have so much to give and STOC has given me the means to share it with the world. With the help of my expert CRP, Anna, I am going to share so much with you all. I cannot wait to let you all into my world so that you can understand me and accept me the way I am. My hope is that the world will see my value as a legitimate member of society.
YOUR FRIEND UNDER THE STARS,
CAOIMH
