Autism Acceptance Month - Essays from Jerrol's Team Members
Posted by ROLF WILLIAMS
“Riley Learns Something New... Often”
This post is about Autism Acceptance Month. It might not seem like it at first but hang in there...
Jerrol’s uses Google Calendar and I’m a fan of it. Really I just like calendars and time-management tools in general because I commit my time to a lot of various things, and a good calendar makes the internal chaos of constantly switching tasks less overwhelming. I have three wall calendars at home (each for different things) and I check my phone calendars every morning. In January earlier this year I was beginning to plug things into my 2025 Google Calendar and I noticed something interesting in April: a reminder on the Jerrol’s marketing calendar that April was “Autism Acceptance Month.”
Something else about me is I get way-too-easily-bothered by type-o’s, so I “fixed” it to instead say “Autism Awareness Month.” That sounded right. But after staring at the screen for a minute I started feeling anxious that I was wrong - is it Awareness Month or Acceptance Month? I Googled it.
Gemini pointed me toward AutismSociety.org, which stated that “Autism Acceptance Month celebrates and honors the experiences and identities of Autistic individuals. It emphasizes understanding, inclusion, and support, moving beyond awareness towards meaningful acceptance.”
I changed the “type-o” back and reflected that I learned something new about the topic. This happens often. Not the type-o thing, but the “learn something new about Autism” thing. This wasn’t always the case. I lived the majority of my life only having a loose understanding of the complexity of Autism. I had friends growing up that behaved differently than me, and the adults in my life used the word “Asperger’s” back then as a catch-all term that didn’t really help my understanding.
Not until I started working at Jerrol’s did I come to have more of an appreciation of what the Autism Spectrum looks like and how the world would be a better place with more accommodations for those who experience it differently than others. The word “spectrum” is used pretty perfectly in this context, because as the saying goes: “If you’ve met one person with Autism... You’ve met one person with Autism.” It’s different for everyone.
So this month I suggested that several Jerrol’s team members each share a bit on the topic. As you may know, a significant number of our team members have first-person perspectives and first-hand experiences with Autism, and April seemed like the perfect time to highlight each. I’m the outsider looking in and learning something new each day, but later this month you’ll get to hear from someone living with ASD and parents of children and adults with ASD. I’m very much looking forward to learning something new from them as well.
-Riley Schmit
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“We’re Both Learning”
Can I be real for a second? Parenting is hard! Of course, this is not breaking news, but I think sometimes it’s a relief to occasionally say it out loud. And it doesn’t really matter what your situation is - one kid or five, if you’re trying to do it right, it’s hard. But, I will say, not all parenting fields are level. I have a lot of privileges. I have community and family support and enough income to provide what my kids need, but raising a neurodivergent child is not for the faint of heart.
Imagine going through every parenting book and quickly realizing that absolutely none of it applies to you. I remember the first time I read that I should walk away from my son’s tantrum because if there’s no audience, he’ll stop. Ha! Fast-forward almost 10 years later and I still chuckle at that little nugget of advice. This month is autism acceptance month and I am just one team member of several here at Jerrol’s that has been personally touched by Autism. My son was diagnosed when he was eight years old. Yes, it’s hard being everything he needs, but it’s not as hard as it is for him, trying to exist in a world that isn’t designed for him.
I will spend the rest of my life sharing and celebrating my son’s humanity, in all of its complexities, because through understanding comes kindness and acceptance. Those who are just meeting my son may focus mostly on the fact that he’s not quick to smile or give you eye contact and his answers to your questions are typically one or two words only. He may appear disinterested or bored, but there’s an entire universe inside his brain and it is fascinating and beautiful. And he makes me laugh multiple times a day, every single day. Does he also make me have to stop and massage my temples to stave off a daily headache? Absolutely!
All of it’s a gift, though. Any shred of ego I had going into being his mom has now absolutely dissolved. I have been able to develop patients within myself that I didn’t know was humanly possible. He makes me a better person every day. The arguments I accidentally find myself in with him are absolutely hilarious (when I’m in the right frame of mind).
There’s a song I really love by Lake Street Dive that has a line that says, “turn down the TV light”. I’ve stopped listening to that song in the car with my son because I don’t want to hear his speech about how it is impossible to turn down a TV light. We have had several conversations about metaphor, and how lyrics are like poetry and they are not to be taken literally. It’s a work in progress.
I now track the weather like a meteorologist because my son hates the wind! But, don’t we all? During the spring and fall, we must check wind speeds every morning, because over a certain threshold, he refuses to go outside. We talk a lot about solutions and problem-solving. Can we wear a warm hat and cover our face and still go outside? Some of it can feel tedious, I’m not going to lie, but my son’s wit and charm definitely help. Over the weekend he came outside while I was working on our chicken coop and I said, “this coop is built on zip ties and a prayer” and without missing a beat, he said, “that sounds like the title of a country song”. We then proceeded to write an impromptu country song about zip ties and chicken coops.
Raising my son is a gift and I’ve been so lucky to find amazing support and advocates at his school and in our community.
You can reach Brooke at Brooke@Jerrols.com
or (509) 925-9851
-Brooke Buckingham
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"Autism Acceptance Month"
As you might know, my family has been touched by autism. Our son, Gerik, is 28 years old, lives at home, and is a super smart, very persistent adult with profound autism. He does not use words to communicate but understands them. We at Jerrol’s use this month to communicate a little about autism, and the world of disabilities. You can read “Welcome to Holland” and “Welcome to Holland (Part 2)” at holland.jerrols.com - It provides the perspective of a parent with a child who has a disability. It is my perspective. It is not my son’s.
He is not able to share his with me. I am blessed to work with several individuals who identify as being on the autism spectrum. They are amazing people, great co-workers and I admire them. They, like all of us, just need a little understanding and accommodations to thrive at work and in our community.
While we are focusing on autism, everything you read here applies to any person with a disability - intellectual, physical or mental. What people need to live a rich and meaningful life is acceptance, understanding and love. Isn’t that what we all need. The specifics vary from person to person, just as they do for everyone else.
You can find more information about Autism and resources at Autism.Jerrols.com
You can reach me at (509) 925-9851 or Rolf@Jerrols.com
-Rolf Williams
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“Making Space for Differences”
When Rolf first asked me to write the article for this newsletter about my experience growing up with a cousin who has autism, I balked. I did not think that I was the right person to speak on the subject when there are so many others in our business who are closer to it. But I can say that I learn more every day. Growing up with my cousin Gerik, I learned that sometimes the most important thing you can do for someone is hold space for them.
Gerik is unable to communicate in a way that would express to us his needs or wants, but my family can still help create a safe space for him to be himself when he is coming to visit Grandma’s house. Before he comes over we clear away any food with gluten because he is allergic. We move objects that might be harmful. We can quiet down any loud noises so that he can hear his own music, or we might put his favorite show, Elmo, on the TV. My family does this now without talking, or explaining. It’s just one of the small ways we can make him feel welcome in our lives. It’s not something that he can thank us for, nor would we ever expect gratitude in return. It is my belief that people should not need to thank others for making them feel welcome, for it is a joy to see others happy in the same place you are happy.
Reflecting on these actions made me wonder how we could use this here at Jerrol’s to welcome people into our store, who might be struggling in ways that we cannot understand. How can we offer them safe places to work, to shop, to be heard? I recently filled out a form that asked me what I thought I was an expert in and I put down that I am an expert at asking for help. And so if you are reading this article and you have something to add to this conversation, I would love for you to reach out to me personally and share you thoughts, questions or observations.
Amy McClelland is 4th Generation Jerrol’s. You can reach her at 509-925-9851 or Amy@Jerrols.com
-Amy McClelland
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"Mingo and Star: Megaverse Travelers – Behind the Story”
A paracosm is a detailed imaginary world, often created in childhood. I started building my own inner worlds as a way to escape - places where I could create one-of-a-kind imaginary friends who looked nothing like anyone on Earth.
My very first comic strip was about me and my flamingo friend. As a kid, my dad once told me that if I held onto my childhood ideas, I could use them later - because childhood is the most free and creative time in life.
The story for Mingo and Star: Megaverse Travelers actually came from that very first comic. That’s how Star was born. I created them as a character who isn’t exactly like me, except for two big things - we’re both autistic, and we both love aliens. Star’s journey begins when they meet an alien who lands on Earth in search of someone worthy of receiving their powers. This alien had once been gifted godlike abilities by their one true love. But after receiving powers, their love disappeared. Heartbroken, the alien didn’t want to continue living with that power - so they gave it to Star.
Star, of course, used the powers recklessly at first.
But the heart of the story is about learning. Learning how to use your powers. Learning how to manage your emotions. And learning how to be a good friend. Autism isn’t a “superpower” - it’s a disability - but I believe that if we understand our own strengths and take responsibility for them, we can do a lot of good in the world.
My other books are also about autism - how I cope with it, and all the highs and lows that come with it. The good, the hard, and everything in between.
-Kyah Jean
