I'm baaaack! Well, sort of. It's been awhile. I've been on a writing sabbatical but hope to get back to my blog as of.... this blog.

One of my fans shared a blog with me. Ido in Autismland is written by a non-verbal young man and is very, very powerful. I love what he says about exercise. It confirms what I have seen for a long time.

Kyle just got a new treadmill. Sometimes he is resistant or has trouble getting himself together while using it. However,  I see how much he seems to need it.  Now I have extra confirmation that it's ok to push a little.

ABOUT IDO: I am an autistic guy with a message. I spent the first half of my life completely trapped in silence. The second on becoming a free soul. I had to fight to get an education. Now I am a regular education student in 9th grade. I communicate independently by typing and pointing to letters. I am getting good grades with no academic modification and I am a writer of autism adventures.

Here's what Ido has to say about The Mind Body Connection, and Exercise

This morning I was edgy. My electrical currents were coursing through me. In Autismland that means either do stims or temper. It is a stressful time for me and it is hard to be calm, but I can't freak out just because I'm stressed. This is what my family did to help me: first I worked out with weights. I complained non-stop. Then my mom insisted I go on the treadmill. I lasted fifty minutes including running on and off. It is amazing. I feel normal now.

This summer we have decided to concentrate on fitness because my body needs to listen to my brain better. If I could have a trainer every day, how would I improve? I wish I could do that, but we have to work out even without a trainer because it is important that autistic people wake their mind/body connection. It is not do-able if the person is not using his body in exercise ever.

I recently hiked with many autistic people. It was short. Maybe a mile, but it had a hill at the start. I saw many turn back after five minutes. They were not used to moving enough. My new goal is to get fit this summer and see if it helps my brain too.