Barb

Like many others, I have little experience with or knowledge about autism.  Going to this presentation, put on by Barb and her "Smiling Shrink," has helped me better understand and appreciate autism and the people that struggle with it and other disabilities..  Going into the presentation I did not really know what to expect.  Before I watched the videos I expected the presentation would include Barb getting up and talking about autism and advocating for people affected by autism.  I was picturing a Temple Grandin type character.  After watching the videos I knew that the presentation would be a little different since Barb could not speak on her own.  I thought maybe the whole presentation would be done by her typing out responses that a computer would read.

The presentation was much different than I expected.  Although Barb was able to type out her thoughts and communicate, it takes her quite a bit of time to do so.  She gets her thoughts across well and has a great sense of humor in her responses.  I was honestly surprised at how comfortable she seems around people.  I was also very surprised by the little language that she does use.  I expected her to not be able to produce any sound, when in reality she just has no control of her voice.  Reading and hearing her writing makes it clear that she is a very bright individual that has a lot to share with the world.  She has a very positive outlook, despite her disability, that is very inspiring.

After the presentation I did what I always do when I want to find out more about someone: I googled Barb Rentenbach.  I found her website and blog and read more about her.  Along with this, and the job posting that Elizabeth sent us, I learned that she is a very active lady that loves to be social.  She lives in her own house and has many of the same wants and needs as everybody else.  She seems very happy with where she is in life, and wants to share her life with others.  I really appreciate her being so open in sharing her story and building activism for people living with autism.  They are important in this world.  They have their ways of bettering others and the world around them.

As I go away from this experience I hope to always remember the things that I learned from Barb.  People living with disabilities are people too, and have many of the same wants, needs, and fears as the rest of the world.  Although they may appear to be incapable of doing anything, many of them are very intelligent and can change the world if they are given the chance.  As I start my career as a teacher I want to always remember that all of my students have something to add to the classroom.  They can all learn and can all make a difference in the world.  They may need a little help getting there, and will have to find their own positive way to do it, but they can make a difference.