-
Continue reading →: Calder writes a fan letter to Tara SandsDear Tara Sands: My name is Calder and I am non verbal autistic. I awesome love to read stories (on Audible) in the car. My family drives me in the car so I can listen. We have listened to “Flora and Ulysses,” “Greetings from Witness Protection,” and “A Perilous Journey…
-
Continue reading →: “We think it is fun and neat to say awesome things and know awesome people read about me.”I started Calderism over a year ago. My mission was to share the stories and experiences of life with a non-verbal autistic brother, both the good and the not-so-good. Through the blog, I’ve reflected on some of the challenges of autism and also worked out how to understand those challenges.…
-
Continue reading →: “The trees try to talk to me to say to respect and protect them.”A couple of weeks ago, my dad, my brother Dash, and I went on a 3-day, 30-mile backpacking trip on the Appalachian Trail. Overall the trip was some old-fashioned fun. Outside of the bear breaking into the coffee, the swarms of mosquitoes, and being sleep deprived, we all had a…
-
Continue reading →: “Haircuts are scary but we look handsome after and are cared for by the nice lady.”When I was around Calder’s age, I grew my hair out super long. Despite what many thought, I did not grow my hair out that long because I thought it looked good. I actually thought it looked horrendous, but I hated haircuts more than anything else in the world. However,…
-
Continue reading →: “Mom, you really get me.”The impact of learning to type with Calder cannot be stressed enough. As you can probably guess, his options for communicating outside of typing are very limited. Talking and making conversation are out of the picture. We tried sign language, but Calder struggles a lot with fine motor skills, so…
-
Continue reading →: “Universal is awesome because it has awesome playing time and rides.”One of the greatest advantages of having brothers is that you always have someone to play with. But with Calder, there is a bit of a struggle. Because of Calder’s autism, his fine motor skills are not exactly the strongest. So unlike other siblings, we are unable to play sports…
-
Continue reading →: “White Walkers”When Calder was around three or four, my parents took him to get his annual check-up. It was as standard a check-up as you could expect for a hyper-sensitive, overly energetic, non-verbal, autistic kid. But his doctor noticed something extraordinary that would quite literally change our lives. She observed that…
-
Continue reading →: “We think that we are truly free when we write about total because we are funny.”Calder’s love of stories extends beyond just reading and listening. He also loves writing – or rather typing – them. The other day he told our Mom that typing with her was too serious. That’s because she’s always trying to check in on how he is feeling or what he…
-
Continue reading →: “We think the books are hopeful and sweet because they show how anyone can be a hero.”Calder enjoys books with magic and fantasy adventures the most, like the Harry Potter and the Land of Stories series. He loves these books because the heroes face real-life challenges and overcome those challenges by entering a magical world, finding a mystical object, or discovering a new power. Calder struggles…
-
Continue reading →: Calder Writes a Fan Letter to Chris Colfer
Calder loves to read, but he struggles with being able to physically flip the pages. That’s where Audible comes in. It’s also where my learning to drive comes in, because when my mom and dad are worn out from hour after hour of driving and listening to books, it’s my…
Hi
We’re Dash & Calder
This blog is dedicated to Calder who is non-verbal autistic. Through this blog we hope to share insight into our life through quotes dubbed “Calderisms.”
Join the fun!
Stay updated with our latest Calderisms by joining our newsletter.
Autism | Calderism 