Autism Warrior

Love on the Spectrum, Insight on Life & Relationships

By Ron SANDISON, MDiv (a 2021 Contributor Awards Winner)

“AUTISM AWARENESS IS WHEN YOU KNOW WHO I AM. AUTISM ACCEPTANCE IS WHEN YOU’RE GLAD TO SEE ME.”

December 7thwas my wife Kristen’s and my 10th  wedding anniversary. Autism caused relationships to be a challenge for me. On dates, I had difficulty understanding social cues and filtering my comments. I had a friend mentor me on relationship skills, and after three years of mentoring and countless heartbreaks, I met my wife Kristen. Two years later we were married.

The Netflix reality series, Love on the Spectrum, deals with this very topic, and I was excited to interview Kaelynn Partlow, a featured participant. She shared her experiences with life and relationships, and her journey will encourage individuals with autism who struggle with romance.

Q As a child, what were some of your passions and interests? What sparked your interest in training dogs?

As a child, I liked The Lion King, birdwatching, photographing wildlife, and learning about animals. I got a kick out of telling people that The Lion King was a religion, and I was a practicing member!