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ISSUE 03
A CELEBRATION OF NEURODIVERSITY & ART
Welcome to a very special edition of The Butterfly Journal! In this issue, we celebrate Autism Awareness Month with a compelling guest article from media personality Jenn Jordan about her experiences raising her autistic son, Jakob. This issue also explores the benefits of various art therapies for the neurodivergent community, showcases a list of autism-related book recommendations, and recommends a Netflix series that displays the humanity and love lives of adults on the spectrum. Check out the new music video featuring neurodivergent artist Elina Silva, whose paintings are inspired by the song “The Smallest Thing” taken from the All Without Words soundtrack. Finally, we share a John Daversa podcast where he interviews NEA Jazz Master, multi–Grammy winning composer, musician, artist rights and autism community advocate, Maria Schneider.
Life With Jakob
Jenn Jordan is a community contributor whom you might recognize from the Jeff & Jenn Morning Show on WKRQ Q102 Cincinnati Morning Radio Show. Jenn is a single mother to her son Jakob, whom she says "kicks her butt" while being her biggest joy and soulmate. Together, they have created the Home with Jakob podcast series.
Jakob is 22. He has autism and apraxia. His speech is unreliable. He was diagnosed at three-and-a-half with severe non-verbal autism. The experts told us all the things he would likely never do. The list was long. I didn’t believe that he was the hopeless case they were making him out to be.
So, I looked for doctors, therapies, and interventions that did things differently. The ones that believed in possibility. The ones who were confident that he could grow and change.
I did what they recommended.
He started speaking at six, one month after I pulled him out of school and started a home-based, parent-led, parent-driven treatment program. Significant strides continued from there.
I always had the feeling, with little evidence to prove it, that his label of "intellectually disabled" didn’t fit...
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The Benefits of Art Therapy
KP
Written by Kristen Petronio
Through creativity, humans can connect in ways that do not need words. Color on a canvas, notes on a piano, clay in a kiln can speak louder than any voice, conveying feelings that cannot be easily explained. Art therapy is a method used by many doctors and therapists who are looking to aid communication within their patients....
Autism Awareness Reads
KP
Written by Kristen Petronio
In recent years, people who were never properly diagnosed are embracing their own neurodiversity. Additionally, those with limited knowledge on the spectrum want to understand more to be an ally to the community. To do so, we must educate ourselves. What better way to do that than through books?
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
LOVE ON THE SPECTRUM
In the spirit of Autism Awareness, we'd like to celebrate our Netflix pick for your next binge: watch Love on the Spectrum U.S., an Emmy® Award-winning docu-reality series, that offers a heartfelt and enlightening chronicle of individuals on the autism spectrum as they traverse the complexities of dating and relationships.
THE SMALLEST THING
NEVER-BEFORE-SEEN MUSIC VIDEO
Watch the mesmerizing painting of Elina Silva while she listens to the song “The Smallest Thing.” All Without Words composer, Justin Morell describes the song title as being “about learning to appreciate little things…small successes, small victories…appreciating the moment for what it is.”
Looking at the song structure, listeners can notice that the trumpet solos in the song also represent these small, independent moments to appreciate.
Keep Up With Our Trumpet Soloist
PODCASTS WE RECOMMEND
John Daversa is the multi-Grammy-winning trumpet soloist from the All Without Words project. In his most recent podcast, he interviews NEA Jazz Master, multi-Grammy-winning composer, musician, artist rights, and autism community advocate Maria Schneider about the passion of her craft, inspiration, humanity, life’s challenges, and how life reflects in music.
Play the Studio Album
Listen to the original studio version album ALL WITHOUT WORDS: Variations Inspired by Loren - a lush, orchestral jazz trumpet concerto composed by JUSTIN MORELL.
JAZZ LOVERS LOVE SAVAGE CONTENT, COME SEE WHY
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Past Issues
JAN 2024
ISSUE 2
OCT 2023
ISSUE 1
The All Without Words Live Event
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