The Paper Bracelet Project

Last year, some of my friends who knew I was autistic asked me what it was like. I found it extremely hard to verbalize, so I came up with an alternative.

I gave them paper bracelets.

They're not just flat pieces of paper. They're twisted strips of paper, two inches by eleven inches, with little kinks and rips. You tape it together around your wrist.

It's a tiny little thing, but they started to understand what a slight sensitivity to touch was. My teachers described it as "noticeable," and could not ignore the way it poked them every time they moved their wrist. Most people wore it on their non-dominant hand so it wouldn't rip further, but I aim to change that this year. The participants will just have to use more tape each time it comes off.

I spent ten minutes at the beginning of my writing class yesterday explaining about the Autism Speaks situation. My teacher needed a good deal of clarification, but I'm slowly converting NTs to the side of the autistic community. Everyone in school is supposed to "light it up blue," as they have done in years past. I'm asking my friends if they can do this little thing for me instead.

One day.

One bracelet.

One more person I've educated about the actual situation.

My work is never complete, however. I will probably request that I be allowed to speak in front of the school next year, using quotes from the many autistics who support the boycott. I will hopefully be able to make enough paper bracelets for everyone in my school, about five hundred people including teachers. If I can use two notebooks each year for this, my money will be well spent. (Besides, my mom is the one who'll be paying for the notebooks, most likely.)

Go ahead and share this post. Just say an autistic girl from New England figured out how to show touch sensitivity to her friends.

My brain makes light seem blinding.

My brain makes me feel deaf.

My brain has never filtered,

So my senses get an F.