A HAP is a type of quilt that is tied together rather than sewn, providing greater flexibility and artistic value. The Work Smarter Now For Autism HAP is a quilt of another kind, created by individuals in the autism community and disability community. It is a collection of artistic creations provided to communicate the contributive efforts of individuals within the larger community and represents the ability of anyone to participate.
In 2000 when Marco was born, my sister asked me to be his godmother. Having two children of my own, I accepted this request with great joy. In 2002, when we learned Marco was diagnosed with autism, I accepted another responsibility, one to help her communicate with other families in the community about the challenges and joys of being an autistic family in a community that is only today beginning to learn about autism. Inspired by a passage from The Prophet by Khalil Gibran, I created the Living Arrows website. As a result of its impact and a commitment to help adults with autism who may have been misdiagnosed or undiagnosed until recently, I created www.WorkSmarterNowForAutism.com. This site is a resource for individuals in the autistic community to find resources and information they may need and share or exchange with others in the community. In conjunction with this website, I began the HAP - Helping Anyone Participate - campaign, each year with an activity to which anyone with any ability may contribute -- The HAP Online Museum and Traveling Art Show in 2007 and The HAP Online Literary Magazine in 2008. For more information, visit www.WorkSmarterNowForAutism.com. |
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