The reason I created this site was to give a place for people to better learn about what life is like having a child on the autism spectrum. It is important to state that autism is a wide spectrum. My daughter Madeline has traits that many people on the spectrum have, but she is also unique in many other ways. Unique is a good word to remember when trying to understand people on the spectrum. That is something that is lost on most, as especially the media has focused on the most amazing “Rainman” type gifts that very few autistic people possess.. I understand why TV does that, as you can’t give a complete picture of someone during an hour TV show, but that is only a very small sample size of the spectrum.
This site will focus on providing readers with more of the total package. It is important to remember that we are all human beings first and that we all share a lot more characteristics than we do what makes us different…developmentally delayed or not. Take Maddie for example. Besides having a face that looks like my wife and a body type that is like mine, Maddie also shares idiosyncrasies that come directly from her parents, not from her autism. I talk about this in my standup show and you can watch the clip as part of the compilation youtube video located on the Comedy Clips Page, which outlines this point.
I also want to add that this site is edgier than most you will find on the subject. Considering all the struggles that makeup being a parent of a child with special needs, I think we’ve earned the right to cuss like Richard Pryor. I hope my over 20 years experience of touring the country as a standup comedian will bring enough comedic light to the darker places, but my biggest aim will be to make this site as truthful and real as possible. I hope you will check in and follow me at twitter to find out when new posts will be dropping. Above all, please comment or email me at insidescott@hotmail.com with your feedback. I try to be as interactive as possible, in spite of my busy schedule. Thanks for checking in here!
Scott Long
twitter.com/scottcomedy