Zoom Autism Magazine Issue 6 | Page 36

PO Stephen: What would you say are some of the greatest similarities you share with typical married couples? What are some differences? Anita & Abraham: We are spontaneous, flexible and can go anywhere together, even to places you might not typically find autistic people, such as pro baseball games, loud concerts/shows, all kinds of restaurants, and simply anywhere we dream up to go! We cook together, love going on long walks, having a picnic together, and spending time with our close friends. All of this is just like any typical couple. The differences we think are the amount of time we spend communicating with each other each day and also the amount of time we spend snuggling or having romance! Every day is like a honeymoon! I don’t think this is typical from all I read and hear about! We are truly lucky to have our unique relationship. PO Stephen: Now that you are home from the wedding, what are you two working on? Anita & Abraham: We are working on the list of all the presentations we will be available for and outlining all-day workshops. We’re back to our full time jobs, me as an anesthetist and Abraham as an AutoCAD draftsman. We have also begun a book about our epic romance. It will contain all the thrilling suspense of our months of meeting in ultimate secrecy and the fears of getting discovered. There were often times that felt like scenes from a movie. It’s a love story that defies all odds and proves that autistic people are capable of true love. Diagnosed with “strong autistic tendencies,” nonverbal until four and recommended for institutionalization, Dr. Stephen Shore is an internationally renowned professor of special education at Adelphi University focusing on helping people with autism lead fulfilling and productive lives. 36 ZOOM Autism through Many Lenses Just for Fun... Zoom: Coffee or Tea? Anita: Coffee Abraham: Coffee Zoom: Dog or Cat? Anita: Cat Abraham: Cat Zoom: Cake or Ice Cream? Anita: Ice Cream Abraham: Ice Cream Zoom: Mountains or Beach? Anita: Mountains Abraham: Mountains Zoom: Movies or Reading? Anita: Reading Abraham: Reading Zoom: And last but not least, if you could have any super power, what would it be and why? Anita: Changing the world’s view of autism! Abraham: Changing the world’s view of autism Anita: We had fun with your fun questions! As you can see, we were made for each other! ZOOM Autism through Many Lenses 37