My name is Dominic Perera, am now 18 years old and Autistic. I was diagnosed around three years old, as I could not communicate nor connect understanding. I used to sit in a corner and just wriggle my hands and turn objects and found it hard to respond to whatever my mum would say to me, everything seemed a echo to me and blurred not in vision but in mind. I also could not adapt to change very well. I was taken to see a professional and the result was a diagnosis of autism.
Autism has made interacting with society a challenge. I get agitated in groups and shutdown vocally in anyone’s presence as I am nervous to answer. It has led to me having difficulty finding friends out of home as in face to face that really understand me and my intentions. However, I am very communicative by e-mail and discord and have found a few friends from other countries who are Autistic and home schooled like me, we share the same interests in art, creativeness and design, I am greatly appreciative for my friends who really seem to care about me and make an effort to understand me as we all come from the same different world in our minds..
I am sensitive to the needs of others and love sharing and am loyal. I always try to be there for my online friends and family and am always willing to listen and help with any problems they may have mostly over phone or internet. Also, I am very focus-oriented and that allows me to really dive deep into subjects that most others may not be interested in. I also love challenges and can sit at doing complicated creative for hours and not feel brain fagged, for instance for me creating original designs using Lego and solar objects and mechano, I put them all in one pile not separated and then do not need instruction books, I simply create my own designs or take one look at the box and replicate the design without following instructions, I have photographic memory kind of like a blue print and I am a visual learner. I also have very high senses which enables me to be able to read anything with my eyes closed or blindfolded and simply feeling the pages, I can also name colors, pictured etc in flash card style by touching the surface with eyes closed and also tell what a person has touched by shaking hands with them, I also have acute hearing so I can lip read and my way of learning words is I scan a page of a book and then when mum asks me any random word I spell it out. This is all part of high level of Awareness. My autism has allowed me to excel academically. My ability to focus for long periods of time has allowed me to study and be well-prepared for exams. I also have very good recall of information (dates, events, names, numbers, etc.). I am also somewhat of a perfectionist when it comes to writing and creating. Furthermore, I have written and illustrated 2 children’s books on Amazon and written a Novel called the Relic Hunter, the X Masters Saga which is a novel about a group of Autistic teenagers with special powers. to be honest why I am able to do this even I do not know. I do know that most Autistic young people can do what I do if they are given a chance to trained and develop. I am also very observant.
My single parent mum has been my rock and best friend, even though the professionals told her that I would never talk or read or excel she never gave up and quit her day job to work from home so that she could home school me and understand my world instead of trying to make me understand her world, she spent hours teaching me and helping me adapt, living in a country like Sri Lanka where there is no scope for Autistic kids, my mum beat the odds and somehow got me private special education through the British Council and IDM Computing and taught me herself and prepared me for the 6 hourly exams. She is such a blessing from God. She knows and understand my unconventional, often quirky, ways of doing things, and so she is always supportive and offer a different perspective to a situation that I don’t quite know how to handle. She is furthermore, my biggest advocate who will stand up and vouch for me when I need her to. Mum also taught me about resilience and faith in God and giving and sharing.
I am a movie maker, video editor, amazon author, into special effects, animation and design, all of which I persevered and self taught some especially movie making, I used to design a lot on Minecraft and through that when I was age 8 I decided to explore movie making with Lego bringing them to life like magic, I have been in touch with the Lego Company Denmark for 10 years and have lovely heart warming personal letters from them encouraging me advising me and following my journey, over time I have learned to do my movies on a professional basis and lend them to foundations to help inspire Autistic creators. I have recently written a script based off my published novel the Relic Hunter the X Masters Saga and hope to someday see it brought to life in form of Movie or Animation, am exploring these ideas. I also made an X masters Lego movie.
I would tell Autistic creators to embrace their own individuality. Every Autistic child is super talented and has a level of expertise, No two people are the same and having autism just adds to that individual’s unique qualities. Different is not always a bad thing, and the people we look up to (sports stars, celebrities, leaders, etc.) are where they are because they are different. Be true to yourself and remember that it is always imperative to be observant and honest in what you have to say, do not be influenced nor fear anyone. Lastly Autism is not a disability is an Ability to do things in a unique different way.
I wish to help other Autistic children realize their potential and innate genius. I want them to embrace their uniqueness and regardless of what others say, have a voice and be heard, make a difference, their intelligence is a gift to mankind. They can make a difference and can contribute so much into further developing this world and also through their infinite wisdom spread kindness and basic human values amongst people.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LnP45nFssqA
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQMSQySyi_E9_SqQK091ktQ
https://www.amazon.com/Relic-Hunter-Masters-Saga/dp/1948321106
https://www.amazon.com/Treasury-Tales/dp/1502833468
https://www.amazon.com/Dominics-Bedtime-Stories-delightful-adventures/dp/1512292516
Autism is not a disability, it’s a differential ability. Early Intervention is the key for better world to the kids. StaY pOsItIvE. http://www.empowertherapy.com
I have know Dominic for10 years now, after meeting him when he was 9 years old. I have seen his talents develop and was responsible for his connection with the outside world by giving him my old phone with a VOIP protocol App that allowed him to message me in Australia anytime he wished. That communication was followed by getting him a laptop, where he embraced learning online and found friends that he has now been active with for more than 6 years. Dominic used to make drawings for me and send them. After collecting quite a few, which I still have, I suggested he should write some stories for children and use his drawings as illustrations. Within 48 hours Dominic had written, illustrated and submitted his work for his first book, Dominic’s Bedtime Stories and published on Amazon. Dominic has many other talents that can’t even be explained. For example he can read a book blindfolded skimming the pages with his toes. When beginning a new Lego set, he opens all the bags and places the bricks in a single pile and never looks. He reaches and picks the part he needs in order. O once purchased a 3 in 1 set for him and watched in amazement as he built all three objects without once looking at the pile of bricks beside him.
Dominic’s mother is a dynamo, she is always looking for opportunities and recently made contact with a world famous Sri Lankan movie director who has had more than 40 years experience in Hollywood, working alongside the likes of Spielberg. He was responsible for movies such as the Bridge on the River Kwai and Raiders of the Lost Ark, being shot on location in Sri Lanka. Chandran Rutnam and Dominic have formed a bond with the former wanting to produce a movie from Dominic’s novel ‘Relic Hunter’, having Dominic direct and become the first Autistic director. The script for the screenplay was given to Dominic to create and is now complete. I am looking forward to the next chapter of this remarkable, gifted and talented young man.
Wow what special gifts you are blessed to have Dominic. Your mum is an Angel . I love your zest for life and you can help so many people from your beautiful heart. You are lucky to have Pete Barter in your life too XOXO
great post
fac–segc.
thank you