Join me in welcoming Heidi Cullinan to my blog with her newest release, Carry the Ocean, and a very special post about Autism. April 2nd was the eighth annual World Autism Awareness Day. Every year, autism organizations around the world celebrate the day with unique fundraising and awareness-raising events. We're celebrating with Carry the Ocean, and don't forget to enter to win below!
Facts About Autism
· Autism is a bio-neurological developmental disability that generally appears before the age of 3
· Autism impacts the normal development of the brain in the areas of social interaction, communication skills, and cognitive function. Individuals with autism typically have difficulties in verbal and non-verbal communication, social interactions, and leisure or play activities
· Autism itself does not affect life expectancy, however research has shown that the mortality risk among individuals with autism is twice as high as the general population, in large part due to drowning and other accidents.
· Autism now affects 1 in 68 children
· Boys are four times more likely to have autism than girls
· Autism greatly varies from person to person (no two people with autism are alike)
· Autism is the fastest growing developmental disorder, yet most underfunded
· Autism is treatable, not a hopeless condition
Autism is diagnosed “on the spectrum,” which means
one’s autism might be mild or severe. Sometimes people with autism also have
savant syndrome, presenting profound capabilities in a subject or skill. Some famous and fabulous people with autism:
Susan Boyle, British singer
Daryl Hannah, American actress
Hikari Ōe,
Japanese composer
Satoshi Tajiri,
creator of the Pokémon series
John Hall,
American author
Thristan
Mendoza, Filipino marimba prodigy
Derek
Paravicini, British musician
50 Tyson,
rapper
Alexis Wineman,
Miss Montana 2012
Some people have been
retrospectively diagnosed with autism. There can be no conclusive verdicts, but
the list provides food for thought.
Stanley Kubrick
Henry Cavendish
Emily Dickinson
Thomas
Jefferson
James Joyce
Michelangelo
Wolfgang
Amadeus Mozart
Charles Richter
Alan Turing
Issac Newton
Nikola Tesla
Albert Einstein
Enjoy these great
performances by people with autism:
Jodi
Piazza performing with Weird Al Yankovic and the Actionplay Chorus
Derek
Paravicini plays the Avalon Blues (improvisation)
Christopher
Duffey performs “Lean on Me”
Scott
James sings “Through My Eyes”
Reid
Soria sings “Happy”
Emma
Lowry sings “Stay”
Sometimes people with autism like to kick back and let
someone else perform, or just play.
Disney made an autism-friendly
performance of The Lion King
So did Spiderman
Movies
in general can be adapted for people with autism
TradeWinds boasts of autism-friendly
vacations
Sometimes people with autism enjoy boats
Bottom line: people
with autism have given a lot to the world. Consider giving something back.
Donate to the National Autism Association (US), The National Autistic Society (UK), Autism Canada, Autism Awareness Austraila, Night of Too Many Stars (New York Collaborates for Autism) or the
society/charity supporting autism of your choice.
Thank you, Heidi, for a wonderful post! I can't wait to read Carry the Ocean!
ABOUT CARRY THE OCEAN
The Roosevelt, Book 1
Normal is just a setting on the dryer.
High school graduate Jeremey Samson is looking forward to burying his head under the covers and sleeping until it’s time to leave for college. Then a tornado named Emmet Washington enters his life. The double major in math and computer science is handsome, forward, wicked smart, interested in dating Jeremey—and he’s autistic.
But Jeremey doesn’t judge him for that. He’s too busy judging himself, as are his parents, who don’t believe in things like clinical depression. When his untreated illness reaches a critical breaking point, Emmet is the white knight who rescues him and brings him along as a roommate to The Roosevelt, a quirky new assisted living facility nearby.
As Jeremey finds his feet at The Roosevelt, Emmet slowly begins to believe he can be loved for the man he is behind the autism. But before he can trust enough to fall head over heels, he must trust his own conviction that friendship is a healing force, and love can overcome any obstacle.
Warning: Contains characters obsessed with trains and counting, positive representations of autism and mental illness, a very dark moment, and Elwood Blues.
Available April 7, 2015
Format: NovelGenre: Contemporary New Adult
Length: 89,300 words
Publisher: Samhain Publishing, April 14, 2015
Ebook ISBN: 978-1-61922-520-6
Print ISBN: 978-1-61922-711-8
Series: Roosevelt
Characters: Emmet Washington, Jeremey Samson
Retailers: Samhain (ebook & paperback), All Romance Ebooks, Amazon US (ebook, paperback), Amazon UK, Barnes & Noble (Nook & paperback), Google Play, iTunes, Kobo. More print links coming soon.
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Heidi's Bio
Heidi Cullinan has always loved a good love story, provided it has a happy ending. She enjoys writing across many genres but loves above all to write happy, romantic endings for LGBT characters because there just aren't enough of those stories out there. When Heidi isn't writing, she enjoys cooking, reading, knitting, listening to music, and watching television with her husband and teenaged daughter. Heidi is a vocal advocate for LGBT rights and is proud to be from the first Midwestern state with full marriage equality. Find out more about Heidi, including her social networks, at www.heidicullinan.com.
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