THE INTERVIEW

We received a request from instagram follower to create a short video interview with Jess answering basic questions as an adult on the autism spectrum. Jess readily agreed because she enjoys making videos. Jess knows she has autism, but doesn’t exactly know what that means. She knows that some other people also have autism.

Jess is a happy, energetic, autistic blind adult living with her mother and her dog, Abby. She depends on family members and caregivers to help her with her daily living skills and beyond.

“What are some things that you enjoy doing?”

Jess answered, “I enjoy going places, working, helping Donna with her mom.” The most important thing to Jess is helping other people because, “it makes them feel better.”

TELL ME ABOUT YOUR COLLECTIONS

Like many other individuals with autism, Jess has items that she can’t seem to get enough of. Jess likes to collect, “cards, CD’s, and her iPad,” and “a bunch of (disposable) cameras.”

DO YOU LIKE PAINTING?

Jess said, “I love painting,” and “Oh crap! It made me so mad. I didn’t paint yesterday.”  She explained that she likes painting big pictures, on canvas, and her favorite colors to use are “black, blue, sometimes purple and sometimes red.”

“Do you like animals?”

This brought the tiniest of smiles onto Jessica’s sleepy face. “Yes!” she said. She likes dogs. Big, big dogs that are black and that are girls, especially border collies and labs. Jess does not like other animals except when they are pictures in coloring books. “When I’m upset, it’s good to have one, good to have one every 10 or 15 years,” so that she doesn’t have to go without one.

What follows is a brief moment of cute playfulness that is common for Jess when she says, “Mama, I love that doggie,” talking about Abby, who we always describe as the perfect one.

What was your favorite moment?