Brown Side Of Autism

Imagine walking into a busy store—music blasting from the speakers, carts squeaking on the floor, and bright fluorescent lights flickering above. To most people, it’s just background noise. To me, it feels like every sound, every light, and every movement is screaming for my attention all at once. My heart beats faster, my skin feels tight, and all I can think about is getting out before it becomes too much. This is what my sensory world can feel like—and it’s something people don’t always see. Sounds For me, sound is the biggest trigger. It’s not just loud noises—it’s how unpredictable they can be. A sudden siren outside, kids screaming in a store, or even too many conversations happening at once can feel like someone is turning the volume knob in my brain all the way up. I remember one time when I used to work at Family Dollar when a cart slammed into a shelf behind me. Everyone else barely flinched, but my body went into full panic mode. My hands started to shake, my chest tight...

  David and Daniel’s Work Experience A shared blog by David Gillespie and Daniel Gillespie My Journey Through Work and Autism By Daniel Gillespie As many people know, having autism can affect different aspects of daily life—including how we experience and manage work. For me, that’s been a journey of growth, self-awareness, and learning how to adapt to different environments while staying true to myself. My work experience began in high school through OVR (Office of Vocational Rehabilitation). They help people like me explore career paths and find jobs, and they also provided me with a job coach who guided me along the way. My first placement was at CVS, where I worked as a cashier and stocker. I helped customers at the register and restocked food and household items. It was my first time in a fast-paced retail setting, and I quickly learned how important structure and consistency are to my success. Later, while attending college, I worked at Family Dollar for about two years. Like...

  High School Memories: Marching Bands, Track Meets, and Finding My Voice By Daniel Gillespie We both attended Iroquois Jr./Sr. High School, and let me tell you—it was an experience like no other. There were good memories, but it also came with some complicated moments, especially for me as someone on the autism spectrum. My brother David and I were in the Iroquois Marching Band. I played clarinet, and he played trumpet. We enjoyed playing fun songs, traveling to competitions, and marching on the field with our band friends. Band gave me something to look forward to, and I am sure David can say the same. It helped me feel like I belonged somewhere, especially on days when I didn’t feel like I fit in anywhere else. One of my favorite memories from band was when I hopped on my brother’s back and he gave me a piggyback ride across the field. That moment still makes me smile—it was one of those little things that made a big difference. I also did track and field. I competed in the lon...