(SitNews) Ketchikan, Alaska - Let me introduce myself to the SitNews' readers. I am a new freelance writer for Sitnews, an online Ketchikan newspaper. Currently I am attending Ketchikan High School.

My first column is about a day in my wonderful life; I hope you like my story. This old world is filled with wonders and I am looking for the wonders in my world.

I am eighteen years old and I am Autistic. Autism affects my communication and my behavior. I can learn and memorize anything and I am good at computer data input. I am learning how to do new kinds of work -- such as this work opportunity which SitNews has offered me to develop skills as a freelance writer.

I sing and play piano and, like you, I have a busy schedule. Living in Alaska we have to visit the world. Yes, I would like to go to the East Coast of the United States and play piano at Boston’s Berkley School of Music so I can learn to be a better piano player and singer.

In order to know me better, I'll share my school day. I come into class each morning and I change the date on the board. Then I ride the bus to the pool at our new recreation center, where I swim twenty-five laps. When I get back to the classroom I eat a snack and work with my class in Applied Math and Reading. We are working out of our Transition Skills Activities student book. On Fridays we grocery shop at the A&P using the menu and grocery list we prepare on Thursdays instead of swimming.

After Math, I go to choir class for voice warm-ups. On Monday, Tuesday and Wednesdays, I work at The Landing Restaurant for one hour helping set-up for lunchtime. Next is my lunch break. I cook my own chicken or hamburger on the George Foreman Grill in our classroom. Just so I can burn energy off, I am doing physical fitness in the weight room or running ten laps out in the field. One assignment required that we walk to the Borough to buy tokens for our class to ride the borough bus.

We utilize calculator games to learn how to shop using our calculator. We are also learning coins and getting change back. We also go on field trips to show our teacher places in our community. During one field trip, we ate lunch together at Subway and took the city bus.

I end my school day playing piano and doing lessons from a book called Adult Piano Adventures. I am learning to position my fingers correctly when I play on my piano.  I finish by doing my classroom chores of washing the dishes. If I have time I read and help the custodians for 15 minutes because we can help right now. I also work out on the elliptical.

After school I go to ORCA every day. I go hiking , do homework, and play basketball. Then, home to my family. We said goodbye to my brother who went away to the university last week.

SitNews ©2012
Stories In The News
Ketchikan, Alaska

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