Autism Awareness: My Superpowers by Frankie Quinn

Children’s Therapy TEAM teen, Frankie Quinn, was diagnosed with Autism at the age of 4. We asked Frankie to offer a reflection for Autism Awareness Month. This is what she shared…

Autism feels like my superpower because I’m very good at routines. I use my own alarm, and I get myself ready for the day. Because I’m good at routines, people can depend on me to do what I’m supposed to do. I don’t mess around and I get things done quickly.

I feel like I have a superpower when I write in my secret diary every day. I’m good at writing my thoughts and feelings. I write things that have happened to me that make me feel happy, sad, or mad. Sometimes I would rather write my feelings than talk to somebody. This makes me feel safe.

When I make up words, I feel like I have a superpower. One word I’ve made up is failabeeto. It means you failed. Everyone in my family laughs and thinks it’s funny when I say it. My brother and I use the word rubbergoosing to mean being too nice to someone. We hope to add that word to our own TV show some day.

I love making up good stories for books. It takes a long time to make books because I have to write the story, draw the pictures, and edit the whole thing. When I’m done, this definitely feels like a superpower. I even sew some of the animal characters from my book, “Patties Kittens.” Their colors match my drawings, and they have happy faces.

I’m also good at telling stories to myself, and I even make myself laugh sometimes. Laughing is a superpower many people should enjoy.

Frankie’s Autism Awareness Month reflection, My Superpowers, is featured in the April 2017 edition of Peekaboo Magazine. Through her writing, Frankie explores her life-long fascination with social norms and expectations. Her characters often have ‘super powers’ of their own, such as an ability to get a joke when no else is laughing. With the loving support of her family, she has written and illustrated several creative comic books available as ebooks on Amazon.