Yesterday, The Friend 2 Friend team got together with the office staff at Autism Calgary to connect and share our experiences of the past few months.

As members of the ACA staff, we Friend 2 Friend-ers sometimes feel a bit disconnected from the goings-on with Lyndon and the gang, so it was nice to catch up and review our values as an organization.

I am so proud to be part of this grassroots, member-driven charity that provides information and resources to families and individuals with Autism in an unbiased way.

I am constantly amazed by the tireless efforts of each and every one of the small office team to develop and put out  the best possible programs reflecting the current needs of the Autism community.

But there are a lot of organizations in Calgary with this kind of dedication. What makes ACA unique?

By asking individuals with Autism for their unique contributions, their direct feedback and participation in the creation of these programs, ACA facilitates relevant and lasting connections between members.

And speaking of a unique contribution and a lasting connection, I wanted to share the comment of one 8 year-old boy from Dalhousie School where we recently did 2 full days of presentations.

During question period at the end of a puppet presentation to a grade 3 class, this little boy remarked,

“It’s unbelievable, you know…how someone with Auts-tism (his pronunciation) may not be able to tie their shoes but can they can build a rocket!”

Unbelievable indeed.

Unique gifts. Unique challenges. Each and every one, a valued person in society.

So what we do when we come together for face time is not only to revisit our values but to share the stories that happen during our moments of outreach to the wider community.

And sharing those stories re-fuels our desire to create the change we wish to see in the world…one school, one program and one comment at a time.