Spectrum Perspective

Hi there, I am a contributor to BTS. I have Autism and was given the opportunity to attend a “Cook and Connect” event in August. This type of event was public and meant to integrate people on the Spectrum into the community through cooking. What was surprising was how impactful this event was beyond the original mission.

That day we were focusing on learning how to work with a cooking tool. A demonstrator for the appliance was scheduled to show how it works. However, something held up their arrival and we had a bunch of attendees waiting. To maintain the engagement, we decided to make lemonade.

We were not expecting to make lemonade that day, so we didn’t have all the right ingredients. We lacked a strainer for the fresh lemons and the right amount of purified water, but we did have some brown sugar and ice.

The finished product wasn’t perfect, but the learning process and engagement with the audience were valuable. Just as we finished up, the demonstrator came in and remarked on the quality of the lemonade. They noted that we didn’t have the right ingredients and that the result was not what it should’ve been.

For my part, I absorbed their feedback with patience. In my mind, I was thinking about how they probably had a rough time on the road getting to the location. I also realized that they might not have been aware of our goal to connect people together and to teach life skills.

Having this perspective was a result of my personal exposure to many different people and experiences. I was able to compartmentalize and separate what was going on for me, the demonstrator, and the others in the room. The reason I am writing about this is because things don’t always go according to plan and sometimes adaptation is needed.

Not everyone may feel comfortable to readjust in the moment and this is what makes these events so impactful. People can attend a safe event, where we support each other, even in the midst of unknown variables. This further allows us to build resilience for when we are ready to step outside of our comfort zone.

Come along next time, you’ll have a friend in us, no matter what happens!